By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Independent News ExpressIndependent News Express
  • Home
  • International
    InternationalShow More
    United Nations
    4th International Conference On Financing For Development Delivers Renewed Hope And Action For Sustainable Development
    6 days ago
    The African Development Bank and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) scale up drive for sustainable urbanization in Africa
    AfDB, UN-Habitat Scale Up Drive For Sustainable Urbanisation In Africa
    7 days ago
    UN
    North Africa: Green Climate Fund Approves Record $300m For FAO-designed Projects In Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia, The Sahel
    1 week ago
    UNICEF
    How Wars Across Middle East, North Africa Affecting Children – UNICEF
    1 week ago
    UNDP
    UN Development Programme Welcomes Historic Deal On Sustainable Development Even Amidst Global Turmoil
    1 week ago
  • Africa
    Africa
    Show More
    Top News
    Tunisian President Saied Under Pressure To Resign After ‘Fiasco’ Poll
    3 years ago
    United Nations Experts Charge President Of Zimbabwe To Reject Bill Restricting Civic Space
    2 years ago
    Senegal: Amnesty International Worries Over Deadly Crackdown On Protesters
    2 years ago
    Latest News
    At Gender Statistics Forum, African Leaders Urge Renewed Commitment To Quality Gender Data
    3 days ago
    Ooni’s Wife, Olori Temitope Enitan-Ogunwusi Takes Ile Ife Royalty To ADWIN Launch In Cote d’Ivoire
    4 weeks ago
    Independent UN Body Finds Systemic Racism Against Africans And People Of African Descent
    4 weeks ago
    Public Exit: Why South Africa Businesses Are Moving To Private Cloud
    1 month ago
  • Corporate News
    • Media Outreach
  • Politics
    Politics
    Show More
    Top News
    Nobody Can Thwart The Will Of Osun People, Adeleke Insists He Won Osun Election
    2 years ago
    Ex Boxing Champion, Akpan Hails Tinubu’s Victory, Applauds MC Oluomo
    2 years ago
    Lagos Speakership: Why Lawmakers-elect Endorsed Obasa – Temitope
    2 years ago
    Latest News
    Lagos LG Poll: Tunde Disco/Ganiyu Obasa Intensify Campaign In Agege
    2 weeks ago
    PHOTOS: Vinod Obasa Joins Other Lagos APC LG Candidates At Sanwo-Olu’s Reception
    2 weeks ago
    Lagos Lawmaker Praises Tinubu For Helping Nigeria Breathe Again
    1 month ago
    LG Election: Stakeholders Appeal To APC Not To Allow Chairmen Run For 3rd term
    2 months ago
  • News
    • Agriculture
    • Breaking News
    • Tech
    • Maritime
    • Crime
    • Art & Culture
    News
    Show More
    Top News
    Ondo Governor, Akeredolu Begins Construction Of First Flyover In Akure
    2 years ago
    Celebration Of Life: Reverend Adewumi Jegede Of Later House Of God Assembly Buried Amid Pomp
    1 year ago
    Pa Abdulfatah Amoo Ayanwale
    Pa Ayanwale Dies At 76, Fidau Prayers Holds 8 August
    2 years ago
    Latest News
    She Was an Amazon Who Left Indelible Marks — Ayorinde Pays Tribute to Late Ambassador Adefope
    2 days ago
    IMSUAA 2025 Convention Mascot: A Symbol Of Love, Unity And Cultural Diversity
    3 days ago
    Lagos Hosts Groundbreaking Revenue Recovery Summit
    3 days ago
    CFE Foundation Seeks Sponsors to Sustain Humanitarian Programs Amidst Funding Challenges
    6 days ago
  • Entertainment
    • Comedy
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Concert & Events
    Entertainment
    Show More
    Top News
    Creative Industries, A Catalyst To Drive Investment & Business Opportunities In U.S. And Africa
    3 years ago
    Davido, Wizkid Join Afro Nation Portugal 2023
    2 years ago
    Nigeria Idol S8: Constance’s eviction and other highlights from week 7
    2 years ago
    Latest News
    Purp vs Raymu: Who Will Be Crowned The Next Nigerian Idol?
    2 days ago
    Local Content Powers African Dreams
    5 days ago
    The Drama Returns As BBNaija ‘No Loose Guard’ Reunion Premieres June 23
    2 weeks ago
    You Can’t Fake it — James Omekwe On MultiChoice’s Impact On African Filmmaking
    4 weeks ago
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
    • Love & Life
    • Food & Drink
    • Travel & Tourism
    • Relationship
    • Sex
    Lifestyle
    Show More
    Top News
    Ooni Of Ife Honours Chairman SABRE West Africa At Olojo Festival Dinner
    2 years ago
    LENT 2023: Nigerians Knocking On Heaven’s Door By Bishop Emmanuel Badejo
    2 years ago
    Happiness
    Eight Ways To Stay Happier In 2025, According To Science
    6 months ago
    Latest News
    Noble Call to Service: Inside the Induction of 104 New Knights of St. Mulumba
    3 weeks ago
    Joining The Knighthood Brings You Closer To God -Sir Eva Njemanze
    3 weeks ago
    Africa Tech Festival Unveils Strategic Themes For 2025 Event,
    4 weeks ago
    Lagos SWAN Joins UN To Celebrate World Nutrition Month At Unilag Confab
    1 month ago
  • Business
    • Banking & Finance
    • Oil & Gas
    BusinessShow More
    Petralon's Nigerian Drilling Campaign to Boost Offshore Oil Output
    Petralon’s Nigerian Drilling Campaign To Boost Offshore Oil Output
    2 days ago
    Year 2025
    How Nigeria Can Unleash Its Economic Potential – IMF
    3 days ago
    GTCO Plc Becomes 1st West Africa’s Financial Services Institution To Achieve Listing And Trading Of Its Ordinary Shares On London Stock Exchange
    3 days ago
    Unity Bank
    Unity Bank Empowers Young Entrepreneurs With ₦16M Business Grant
    7 days ago
    NNPCL Board Accused Of Planning Lavish Party In Rwanda Amidst N210tn Financial Scandal
    3 weeks ago
  • Health
    Health
    Show More
    Top News
    MUST READ: Palm Wine Lowers Blood Sugar, Cholesterol, And Supports Heart Health
    3 years ago
    West Africa, Eastern Europe Lead In Cocaine Trafficking Hubs
    2 years ago
    Uk’s £15m Funding To Strengthen Health Workforce In Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana
    2 years ago
    Latest News
    SSB Tax: Industry Actors, Paid Mouthpieces Slammed Over Campaign To Stop CAPPA
    17 hours ago
    CAPPA Warns Nigerians On Excessive Consumption Of Sugar-sweetened Beverages, Says Nigeria Is In The Throes Of Public Health Crisis
    2 days ago
    Rising Non-communicable Diseases: WHO Wants Higher Taxes For Sugary Drinks, Alcohol, Tobacco
    4 days ago
    Online Education Can Enhance Clinical Guideline Use By Over 50% 
    4 weeks ago
  • More
    • Sports
    • Aviation/Transportation
    • Deliverance Hour
    • Industry & Labour
    • Insurance
    • Interview
    • Judiciary
    • Metro
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Religious
    • Romance
    • Science & Discovery
Reading: First English Slave Fort In Africa Uncovered On Ghana’s Coast
Share
Notification Show More
Aa
Independent News ExpressIndependent News Express
Aa
  • Home
  • International
  • Africa
  • Corporate News
  • Politics
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Health
  • More
Search
  • Home
  • International
  • Africa
  • Corporate News
    • Media Outreach
  • Politics
  • News
    • Agriculture
    • Breaking News
    • Tech
    • Maritime
    • Crime
    • Art & Culture
  • Entertainment
    • Comedy
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Concert & Events
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
    • Love & Life
    • Food & Drink
    • Travel & Tourism
    • Relationship
    • Sex
  • Business
    • Banking & Finance
    • Oil & Gas
  • Health
  • More
    • Sports
    • Aviation/Transportation
    • Deliverance Hour
    • Industry & Labour
    • Insurance
    • Interview
    • Judiciary
    • Metro
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Religious
    • Romance
    • Science & Discovery
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • Advertise
© 2022 Foxiz News Network. Ruby Design Company. All Rights Reserved.
Independent News Express > Blog > Africa > First English Slave Fort In Africa Uncovered On Ghana’s Coast
Africa

First English Slave Fort In Africa Uncovered On Ghana’s Coast

Last updated: 2023/08/01 at 8:54 AM
2 years ago
Share
SHARE

The exact location of what is thought to be the first English slave fort in Africa may have been found – the BBC has been hearing about the significance of the discovery in Ghana.

Taking care, archaeologist Christopher DeCorse spreads the rare artefacts out on a makeshift table next to the dig site.

A gunflint (used in old-fashioned guns), tobacco pipes, broken pottery and the jawbone of a goat are carefully laid out. These discarded fragments, unearthed from centuries of compacted soil, offer clues to a lost past.

“Any archaeologist who says they are not excited when they find something are not being entirely truthful,” the professor from Syracuse University in the US says with a broad smile.

- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

These remnants point to the existence of “the first English outpost established anywhere in Africa”, he argues.

The archaeologist is standing in the ruins of Fort Amsterdam, speaking above the wind and roar of the Atlantic Ocean waves hitting Ghana’s coastline.

Inside that fort are what are thought to be the remains of an older fort – Kormantine – long-lost under the earth, which the professor’s team are gradually excavating with brisk activity.

Aerial shot of the fort
The site of the dig, under the blue canopy, is inside Fort Amsterdam built by the Dutch

They are methodically combing through distinct layers of soil and stones with soft-bristle brushes and trowels. The disturbed soil removed from the trenches is carefully sieved.

A canopy protects the team and the site from the weather and despite the intense sun and the occasional shower, the archaeologists’ work continues.

Ancient maps had referred to a Fort Kormantine in that area, for example the name of the nearby town, Kormantse, is clearly related. In addition, another version of the name, Coromantee, was given to some of the enslaved people in the Caribbean thought to have been transported from this place and later known for slave rebellions.

But where exactly the fort was located remained a matter of speculation, which may have now been brought to an end.

Dating back to the 17th Century, Fort Kormantine sat on the Atlantic coast just at the time when Europeans started shifting their interest from the trade in gold to the trade in humans.

It was a pivotal moment in the history of their involvement in Africa that would have a profound effect on the continent.

The discovery by the team of archaeologists may shed some light on the lives of those early traders and what they were doing, as well as those who were sold and the impact on the community around them.

Ghana’s coastal fishing towns, known for their colourful boats and the melodies sung by the fishermen, remain scarred by a past of European exploitation and human cruelty.

The slave forts dotted along what was called the Gold Coast are a looming reminder of that past.

Hundreds of thousands passed through them before being transported in horrific conditions across the sea.

Fort Kormantine – built by the English in 1631 – was one of the earliest places where that journey started.

It began life as a trading post for gold and other items like ivory.

The slave trade only began from there in 1663 when King Charles II granted a charter to the Company of Royal Adventurers of England Trading into Africa (later the Royal African Company). He gave it monopoly rights over the trade in human beings.

It was only in English hands for another two years before the Dutch seized it but Fort Kormantine played a key role in the initial stages of the slave trade.

It served as a warehouse for the goods that were used to buy slaves. It was also a brief holding point for those who had been kidnapped in different parts of West Africa before being shipped to the Caribbean to work in plantations to develop the sugar economy.

“We don’t have that many details on exactly what these early outposts of the slave trade looked like, which is one of the things that make uncovering the foundations of Fort Kormantine interesting,” Prof DeCorse says.

After capturing the fort, the Dutch built Fort Amsterdam on the same site, which is why its exact location could not be pinpointed, especially after it became a United Nations-recognised World Heritage Site, making excavation difficult.

But initial digs in 2019 in and near Fort Amsterdam, which turned up some early 17th Century artefacts, suggested where it might be.

Archaeologists returned earlier this year and began further searches.

Person pointing at an archaeological site
Nigerian Omokolade Omigbule says it was “mind-blowing” to see the remains of the English fort

At first there was some disappointment as they started by finding a lot of plastic items that must have been dropped more recently. But then Nigerian graduate student Omokolade Omigbule uncovered a stone that Prof DeCorse identified as part of a bigger structure.

“It was mind-blowing, seeing first-hand the remnants, the footprints of an actual building subsumed under a new fort,” says the student from the University of Virginia.

“Seeing the imprints of these external forces in Africa first-hand and being a part of such a dig takes me back a few hundred years, it feels like I was there.”

As the excavations continued, they uncovered a six-metre-long (20ft) wall, a door post, foundations and a drainage system made of red brick.

All these indicate an English presence pre-dating the Dutch fort.

Clay pipe bowls found at dig site.
These bowls of tobacco pipes were among the artefacts found at the site

Returning to the display of artefacts in neatly labelled zip-lock bags, Prof DeCorse points out the rusty gunflint, which he says was in use in England in the early 17th Century.

The pipes with their small bowls where the tobacco was placed “is also very distinctive of the time that we are talking about here”, the professor says, adding that over time the bowls got larger as tobacco became cheaper and more readily available.

Pre-empting the question about why the jawbone of a goat is important, Prof DeCorse suggest that it is proof of how the English occupants may have domesticated local animals as an alternative source of protein despite being on a coastline where there were fish in abundance.

Archaeology is painstaking work. Each fragment of the past it throws up needs to be interrogated and interpreted.

But in some ways, the hard work has only just begun. Archaeologists will spend the next three years trying to unravel the gamut of Fort Kormantine – its architecture, look and feel – which should in turn reveal its true significance.

You Might Also Like

At Gender Statistics Forum, African Leaders Urge Renewed Commitment To Quality Gender Data

Ooni’s Wife, Olori Temitope Enitan-Ogunwusi Takes Ile Ife Royalty To ADWIN Launch In Cote d’Ivoire

Independent UN Body Finds Systemic Racism Against Africans And People Of African Descent

Public Exit: Why South Africa Businesses Are Moving To Private Cloud

Cameroon Tops List Of World’s Most Neglected Displacement Crises

TAGGED: English slave fort
INadminNG August 1, 2023 August 1, 2023
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn Telegram Email Print
Previous Article Coup: Why I Want Russia In And France Out – Niger Citizen
Next Article C.R.E.A.M. Platform: Revolutinising Creative Industries Through Game-Changing Collaborations
about us

Independent News Express (iNews Express), a publication of 4Ds Nigeria Limited, is birthed out of the desires of the founding fathers to report News as it is.

We value Professionalism, Excellence, Service, Creativity and Integrity.

The Company

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy & Policy

Quick Links

  • Advertise with us
  • Newsletters
  • Deal

Categories

Find Us on Socials

© Independent News Express. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?