Salvage Archaeology at The Fort Kongensten Site of Ada Foah

ABSTRACT

This research looks at the use of salvage archaeology as a research method for the documentation and conservation of heritage sites that are being threatened by the rise in sea levels. Such devastating effects of the ocean on coastal environments are often as a result of climate change and global warming. Over the years, sea levels have been steadily rising, leading to the erosion of coastlines in Ghana to about 110 meters inland, and the submergence of historic coastal settlements. Specifically, a historic Danish Fort (Fort Kongensten) constructed in 1783 along the coast of Ada Foah, a town located in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, has been totally eroded away by the rising sea water. This thesis explores the strategic use of salvage archaeology, archival and ethnographic field methods in the documentation of the remains of this fort and associated historic sites. The excavations conducted at Ada Foah, a historic site, yielded a feature; a midden that comprised of fragments of pottery, European ceramics, stems and bowls of smoking pipes, cowrie shells, glass bottles, metal pieces, large quantities of Arca Senilis and Ostrea Denticulata to mention but a few. These materials give an insight into the materiality and period of contact between the Danes and the people of Ada Foah. Overall, this work assesses the extent to which archaeology and anthropology can be used as tools in climate change mitigation projects and conservation of heritage remains.