Shadows of Empire in West Africa

the long version

The authors collectively see fortifications as nodes within entangled spaces in west Africa where different peoples interacted, negotiated, and transformed each other socially, politically, culturally, and economically. This multi-discipline collection presents a nuanced image of fortifications, showing that over time the functions and impacts of the buildings changed as the motives, missions, allegiances, and power dynamics in the region also changed. With their focus on the fortifications of Ghana, the authors engage in new scholarly discussion of how these structures may be interpreted in connecting Ghanaian and west African histories to a multitude of global histories. They also enable greater understanding of the fortifications' contemporary use as heritage sites where the Afro-European experience is narrated through guided tours and museums.