Ancient+Ghana+Environment

=Welcome to the ancient Ghana environment page!=

You can visit all the Ghanaian pages from these URLS: -Ancient Ghana Trade. -Ancient Ghana Place. -Ancient Ghana Movement. -Ancient Ghana Region. -Extra Information on Ancient Ghana. -Bibliography Ancient Ghana Location

The Ghana Empire was not a very advanced empire. Most of the population lived [|rural] lives. After many years of living a rural life, the [|civilians] of Ghana were introduced to the “iron-working” technology. This technology made them achieve many things, which would be impossible to achieve otherwise. The iron-working technology allowed many civilians to lead less of a rural life. The iron-working technology helped the Ghana Empire lead an easier and better life. It provided them with several useful tools. http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/ArchLab/experimental/images/photo11_600.jpg http://www.fao.org/docrep/u9300e/u9300e14.jpg
 * __Technology__**
 * Picture Sources:** http://www.arkeologi.uu.se/afr/projects/urban/abungusudd.jpg

The people of Ghana were ready for trouble, as they had “[|squabbles]” with their neighboring kingdoms every now and then. As sometimes, these “squabbles”, turned into wars, the kingdom had a very large army. They wanted to live normal and comfortable lives, like everyone else. The king conducted public prayers in the main city plazas. Storytelling was also very popular amongst the villagers. They loved to hear stories about “Anasi”, the spider, a very popular [|myth] amongst the villagers. The people of Ghana leaded ordinary lives. They used to go to city plazas and pray and listen to stories of Anasi the spider (extreme right). http://www.newint.org/issue237/Images/sleep3.jpg http://www.globalvolunteers.org/1graphics/ghana/ghawoman.jpg
 * __People__**
 * Picture Sources:** http://www.fairiesworld.com/pixs/anansi1a.jpg

__**Food**__

In ancient Ghana they mainly ate soups and they were eaten with fufu / plantain, cassava, kokonte (cassava meal with paste), banku (fermented corn dough), boiled yam, rice, bread. The soups were mostly light palm nut soup or groundnut (peanut) soup. They would add fish, goat, mutton or chicken and sauces to the soups.Thick soups are the mainstay of the Ghanaian foods and are eaten either rice or potatoes

Other foods were: ∑ Gari foto: eggs, onions, dried shrimp, tomatoes and gari ∑ Agushi: squash seed sauce, tomatoes and onions ∑ Omo tuo: mashed rice balls with groundnut soup ∑ Jollof rice ∑ Red- red: fried plantain and bean sauce ∑ Kenkey: boiled fermented corn dough ∑ Fish, kelewele: deep fried and heavily spiced plantain ∑ Shito: hot pepper sauce

Picture links: http://www.leafforlife.org/frut_verd/frut_verd_grand/cassava.jpg http://www.saveursdumonde.net/ency_4/banane/plantain.jpg http://tomsdomain.com/recipes/images/roastchick/roastchick.jpg

The main occupations in Ghana were mainly farming, mining and painting. The tailors of Ghana produced the most wonderful fabrics. They used mud to make designs on dyed cloth. Fresh fruits and sweet potato were commonly eaten snacks. The river, Niger, provided water for farming, washing, bathing etc. At the end of each day, each family would sing many happy and thankful songs together, and then eat a wonderful feast. The people of Ghana loved eating fresh fruits and sweet potatoes. The river Niger provided them with water for bathing, farming etc. http://www.hort.cornell.edu/4hplants/Vegetables/Images/Sweet-Potato-21.jpg http://www.alamedainfo.com/Nut_Tree_CA_PC_Fresh_Fruits.jpg
 * __Daily Life__**
 * Picture Sources:** http://users.telenet.be/be.bartlog/media/niger-river2.jpg

__**Houses**__

Village houses were made of sun-dried mud, acacia wood or stone. Since there was a hot climate the houses were mostly used for storage and sleeping, while the rest of the activities were mainly done outside.

__**Ghana Life**__

Ghana was the first black African colony to become independent from the British. Before independence Ghana was called the Gold coast.

__**Life**__

The life between a city dweller and a normal person could be very different. City dwellers wore expensive clothing, owned items of art, copper utensils, swords, and foreign products. They also ate exotic food, especially citrus fruits, but most people didn’t live like that. A lot of the people lived in big family communities. 80% lived in farming compounds. The women cooked, ate, worked and entertained. The men had work the field together and hunt.

Picture URL's: http://www.babasushi.info/photos/albums/uploads/udi/india8/normal_IMG_9435.JPGThab8vf8.jpg http://www.prairienet.org/maya/images/women-cooking.jpg

__**Ghanaian Agriculture**__

Ghana’s main agriculture was cocoa beans. Cocoa beans was introduced to Ghana in 1878 by Tettah Quarshie. Once Ghana was introduced to cocoa beans and the started to produce cocoa beans themselves they became the worlds largest supplier, supplying over one third of the worlds population. There is a picture of Ghanaian agriculture on this URL: [|www.horizoncosmopolite.com/Images/images/Photos/Ghana/agriculture.gif] Ghanaian clothing

__**Clothing**__

Dressing in Ghana traditionally reflects the [|geo-political] division of the country into north and south. The most popular cloth for festive occasions is Kente. Cloth is commonly worn by men from the smock which is becoming a gown for all occasions is common for all men in north.