The Political Economy of Banda, Ghana, 1700-1925

在国家科学基金会的支持下，安·斯塔尔博士和她的同事将在加纳中西部的班达地区进行两次考古和人种学的实地研究。班达人的历史和史前史可以清楚地追溯到公元17世纪。口头传统和书面文件表明，在这一时期有四种不同的政治组织形式。从一个基本独立的基地，他们首先被征服，并纳入亚珊特王国。在19世纪，他们成为大英帝国的一部分，并受到英国的间接统治。最后，他们被并入独立的加纳。斯塔尔博士希望研究社会、政治和经济组织在这些时期是如何变化的，并将在她的研究中使用人种学和考古学以及档案数据。她将重点关注新大陆作物种植的时间和对自给生态的影响；野生动物和家养动物的利用随时间的变化；陶瓷生产的变化，以解决外部交换网络对工艺专业化的影响；并记录交换在当地经济中的作用。为了实现这些目标，她将对班达人进行广泛的采访，并观察当今的制造业和生存实践。她还将挖掘一系列跨越这一时期的已知遗址，这些遗址是她将工作的班达村的直接历史前身。这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。首先，它将为许多非洲考古学家提供感兴趣的数据。其次，它将构成对世界体系理论的基本贡献。社会科学家已经认识到，小规模的第三世界社会有着漫长而复杂的历史。通过对具体案例的研究，有可能深入了解适应和变化的过程，并阐明社会在不断变化的世界中生存所采用的机制。该项目包括几名学生，并将直接有助于他们的科学训练。

9410726 Stahl, Anne With National Science Foundation support Dr. Ann Stahl and her colleagues will conduct two field seasons of archaeological and ethnographic research in the Banda region in west central Ghana. The history and prehistory of the Banda peoples can be clearly traced back to the 17th Century AD. Oral tradition and written documents indicate four distinct forms of political organization over that period. From an essentially independent base, they were first conquered and incorporated into the Ashante Kingdom. In the 19th century they became part of the British empire and subject to indirect British rule. Finally they were incorporated into independent Ghana. Dr. Stahl wishes to examine how the social, political and economic organization changed across these periods and will employ ethnographic and archaeological, as well as archival data in her research. She will focus on the timing and impact of New World crops on subsistence ecology; the changing uses over time of wild and domestic fauna; changes in ceramic production to address the impact of external exchange networks on craft specialization; and document the role of exchange in the local economy. To achieve these goals she will conduct extensive interview with Banda people and observe present day manufacturing and subsistence practices. She will also excavate a series of known sites with span this time period and are direct historical antecedents of the present day Banda village in which she will work. This research is important for several reasons. First, it will provide data of interest to many Africanist archaeologists. Secondly, it will constitute a basic contribution to world systems theory. Social scientists have come to realize that small scale, third world societies have long and complex histories. Through examination of specific cases it is possible to gain insight into processes of adaptation and change and to elucidate the mechanisms which societies employ to survive in a changing world. The project includes several students and will contribute directly to their scientific training.