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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Ghana

Shea butter making in Ghana. Source: nomadphotographs / Adobe Stock.

Women's Gold: The Shea Butter Makers of Ghana (Video)

For centuries, women in West Africa have been turning shea nuts into butter, known as "women's gold", as it is the only source of income for many families in northern Ghana . However, the biggest...
Ancient Koumbi Saleh, a busy center of trade. Source: dasom/Adobe Stock

Gold, Salt, and Islam: The Story of Koumbi Saleh

Koumbi Saleh was one of the most important economic centers in West Africa during its peak around the 9th century. This wealthy trade city was once a hub of economic activity, with trade, agriculture...
Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is the current king of what is left of the Asante Empire. Source: Asante Kingdom

The Asante Empire of Ghana and the Anglo-Asante Wars

The Asante Empire (also known as the Ashanti Empire) was an African state that existed between the 18th and 20th centuries. This empire occupied the area of modern-day Ghana and benefitted greatly...
Archaeology shows the damaging impact of pandemic outbreaks and how the ancient Africans dealt with them. From social distancing to more extreme measures of burning settlements, what lessons can be applied today?    Source: Fxquadro / Adobe stock

Archaeology Shows How Ancient African Societies Managed Pandemics

Every so often, a pandemic emerges that dramatically alters human society. The Black Death (1347 - 1351) was one; the Spanish flu of 1918 was another. Now there’s COVID-19 . Archaeologists have long...
The ruins of Loropeni, a market town in southern Burkina Faso, lying west of Gaoua

Ruins of Loropeni Shed Light on Ancient Gold Trade and Are Thought to Hold More Mysteries

Loropeni is a town located in the southern part of Burkina Faso, near the country’s border with Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. The town is known for the nearby stone ruins, which was inscribed as a World...
Anansi

Anansi – Deity or Storybook Trickster?

Most have probably heard of the Anansi tales from their childhood such as the one about how the pig got his snout. In this tale, in order for Anansi to get out of paying a debt to the pig, he dupes...
Elmina Castle, Elmina, Ghana

Elmina Castle and its Dark History of Enslavement, Torture, and Death

Elmina Castle is a white-washed Medieval Castle on the coast of Ghana. It was the first – and for many centuries – the largest, European building constructed in tropical Africa. Yet its grandeur, as...
Child standing on the edge of a river

‘River God’ in Ghana Stops Menstruating Girls from Crossing a River to Get to School

Local authorities in a central district of Ghana have forbidden girls from crossing a river while menstruating due to a belief that the river god does not like it. The girls now claim to have missed...
Ancient Ghana Figurine

Mysteries of Ancient Figurines Found in Ghana to be Revealed

Sixty ancient clay figurines, which were discovered in Ghana, are to be publicly displayed for the first time outside the country in a new exhibition at the Manchester Museum . The remarkable relics...