Archaeological Development in West Africa "FREDERIKSNOPEL"

The two happy archaeologists in the photo - one Ghanian, one Danish - are standing on the foundation of the newly excavated one wall of the main building of the elusive so-called "Isert's Plantation " in the hills about 50 kms north of Accra , Ghana . The wall is exactly 20 Old Danish feet long.

Two happy archaeologists: Dr. Yaw Bredwa Mensah ( Ghana ) and Prof. Klavs Randsborg ( Denmark ).  

Paul E. Isert (1756-1789) was a physician of Danish Fort Christiansborg (Accra) and indignant of the trade in African slaves for the plantations of America . "Why were our forefathers not clever enough to establish plantations in Africa for sugar, coffee, cocoa, and the other goods demanded by Europe?" Isert writes in 1787 from the Danish Virgin Islands. En route from West Africa he had just witnessed a slave rebellion on the open sea, which almost cost him his life (452 slaves against 36 Europeans). In 1792, Denmark decided - as the first country in the world - to ban the trade in slaves from the beginning of 1803, exactly two hundred years ago.

Upon his return to West Africa in 1788, and according to orders from Copenhagen, Isert established a small crown colony, "Frederiksnopel" (Frederik's City) in the fertile, beautiful and cool Akuapem Hills reminiscent of the Mediterranean .

Part of the foundation wall of the main building, exactly 20 Old Danish feet long. A small trench was dug in haste in order to check the construction. A proper excavation follows in 2004.

However, already in 1789, soon after the Danish flag was first flown from the colony, Isert and family died. Isert's assistants attempted to carry on the project and even founded new but less successful plantations on the rather barren plain between Accra and the hills, as well in at the hot estuary of the Volta . Frederiksnopel was given up after about a decade due to the threat of Ashanti attacks. 

Plantation "Frederikssted" of the early 1790s.

A drawing of one of the first plantations on the plain, Frederikssted, probably gives an impression also of the lay-out of Frederiksnopel, but only future excavations will show for certain.

Had Frederiksnopel been a successful enterprise - and with this other plantations in the hills - Isert's dream would have come true. Nevertheless, Frederiksnopel was Denmark 's first aid project in the modern spirit: A plantation established for export as one of the very first in Africa to the south of Sahara , and for promoting the local population.

Read more about the Danish plantations in Ghana :

The ruins of Frederiksgave.

A scientific evaluation of the agricultural experiments at Frederiksgave, the Royal Danish Plantation on the Gold Coast, Ghana.

Extraction from Geografisk Tidsskrift, Danish Journal of Geography 101: 33- 42:

In the 1830s, agricultural experiments were carried out at the Danish state plantation Frederiksgave on the Danish Gold Coast in order to establish economically sustainable plantation systems which could produce export crops to the European market. Experiments were made with coffee, tobacco, sugar cane and some other crops and spices, but they failed.

On the basis of climatic data from Frederiksgave for the year 1835 and from nearby climatic stations in the 20 th century combined with soil data from the dominant soil types analysed in 1999, the environmental reasons for the lack of success are discussed. The conclusions are: too little precipitation and poor soils.

Remaining traces of the Isegram fortress, founded in 1788 at Kpone by Danish governor Køge. A few cannons can also be found in the township.

The Kpone area is rich in archaeological remains. A number of shell-middens contain well-preserved ceramics of the Early Iron Age with biotite inclusions as tempering material stemming from the Shai Hills to the northeast. Some of the middens, lying on cliffs at the ocean, are heavily eroded.

An accidental photo-stop on the coast led to the discovery of a shell-midden site a few kilometres east of Elmina. A narrow stretch of land between the ocean and the lagoon, and at the mouth of the latter, was the ideal settlement site for early fishing societies - as for contemporary fishing families.     

People at the Akwafu village are used to receiving tourists. Already in the village one finds several traces of iron production. But the main attraction lies less than one kilometre away, where it is possible to explore the ancient hematite mines. Close by is a reconstructed iron extraction furnace. Despite the interest of local and foreign scholars no significant research has been undertaken in the area.

Iron production is one of the themes which preoccupies many African scholars. All countries hold numerous traces of iron production. One is often astonished by the dimensions of the slagheaps, which sometimes stand out in the landscape as mountains, or by extraordinary big tuyères as the ones from northern Togo or Ghana, the latter studied by archaeologist John Ako Okoro.

The Department of Archaeology at the University of Legon ( Accra ) has its own museum, which should be included in all tourist guidebooks. It has a good retrospective exhibition on the major subjects of Ghana 's past. Especially people interested in beads can use it as a perfect study place.

The University of Legon is the most beautiful university complex in Western Africa . Student dormitories stand out like colourful mosaics among white and low, somehow Chinese-looking buildings of research and teaching.