Pursuing Park Museums and Archaeology in Ghana: A New Frontier in Heritage Education and Development

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Crafting Archaeological Practice in Africa and Beyond: Celebrating the Contributions of Ann B. Stahl to Global Archaeology" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

How significant are newly established museums and archaeological projects in national parks to the future of Ghana's heritage education and community development? The inauguration of the Museum of Natural and Cultural Heritage at Shai Hills has revealed a promising relationship between archaeology, community engagement, heritage education, and community development in the country. These parks and resource reserves contain well-preserved archaeological sites, pilgrimage sites, historical landscapes, and biocultural heritage resources. This paper discusses the relevance and challenges of my recent archaeological research in the Mole National Park and Shai Hills Resource Reserve. It also examines the benefits of a biocultural heritage approach to archaeological research, heritage conservation, museum and heritage education, and community engagement and development. The paper concludes discussions by examining the ongoing collaboration between Professor Ann B. Stahl's Banda Thru Time Project and the Museum at Shai Hills Project, a component of the West African Biocultural Heritage Project I initiated in 2017.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Crafting Archaeological Practice in Africa and Beyond: Celebrating the Contributions of Ann B. Stahl to Global Archaeology   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 40190.0