Archaeology and the Changing Landscape of Community in a Colonial Capital; The Banjul Heritage Project

Summary

Banjul was founded in 1816 as part of the British efforts to block the slave trade on the Gambia River.  A planned urban center, the city developed around a series of neighborhoods designated as colonial, merchant, and African laborer spaces.  Amongst the most prominent settlers were the Aku from Sierra Leone and French traders from Goree who were instrumental in the growth of the colonial economy.  In preparation for the 200th anniversary of the city in 2016, the Banjul Heritage Project seeks to highlight contributions of the different residents to Banjul from its founding to the present and the unique character of its neighborhoods, through community engaged and directed research. This paper addresses some of the challenges encountered during two field seasons in Banjul including the absence of an engaged community in the face of a rapid dissolution of a resident population and the legalized destruction of colonial period sites.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• New Directions in African Diaspora Archaeology   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2015

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 416