ABSTRACT

This paper examines preliminary research findings emanating from investigations carried out on the marginalised landscapes and relics of slavery in the Three-Town area of southeastern Ghana. It discusses the politics of exclusion being practised in the choice of histories and sites of enslavement for annual commemorative events in Ghana. The popular knowledge that the trade in humans occurred mostly at Cape Coast and Elmina Castles in the Central Region of Ghana has skewed development and commemorative activities such as Emancipation, PANAFEST and Year of Return programmes toward these exclusive sites of reverence. Lack of attention to the Three-Town sites and other sites of enslavement and their relics by government institutions has exacerbated their exclusion from public discourse and heritage development. This paper questions this indifference by highlighting the tangible and intangible imprints of trans-Atlantic slavery and enslavement on the histories, landscapes and memories of the Somey-Ewe people of Three-Town. It underscores the need — and the ongoing quest by archaeologists — to develop the Three-Town enslaved relics as important enslaved heritage resources and complementary sites of reverence in southeastern Ghana.

摘要

本文考察了对加纳东南部三镇地区边缘化的奴隶制景观和遗迹进行调查后得出的初步研究结果。它讨论了在选择加纳年度纪念活动的历史和奴役地点时所实行的排斥政治。人们普遍知道，人类贸易主要发生在加纳中部地区的开普海岸和埃尔米纳城堡，这使发展和纪念活动（如解放，PANAFEST和回返年计划）偏向这些崇敬的场所。政府机构对三镇遗址和其他奴役遗址及其文物的缺乏重视，加剧了它们被排除在公众讨论和遗产开发之外的可能性。本文通过强调跨大西洋奴隶制和奴役对三镇索美羊人的历史，风景和记忆的有形和无形烙印，质疑这种冷漠。它强调了考古工作者不断寻求将三镇奴役文物发展为加纳东南部重要的奴役文物资源和互补的崇敬地点的必要性以及考古学家的不断追求。