Processes of Change--A Longitudinal Ethno-Archaeological Study of a Ghanaian Village: Hani 1970–98
Most ethno-archaeological research involves the study of single communities over short time periods. As archaeology endeavors to appreciate the processes of change over extended periods of time it is important to obtain insights into the dynamics of past communities by studying comparable communities over periods long enough to delineate significant changes in site formation, uses of material culture and reactions to environmental, economic, and political stimuli. The study of the Ghanaian village of Hani, the successor community to the medieval town of Begho (ca. AD 1100–1800), is unique in that it provides a continuous study of a community over 28 years, during which time the village has been mapped on seven occasions, agricultural practices and collecting activities studied at different seasons, the changing material culture of the village recorded and the attitudes and reactions to environmental, economic, and political changes monitored through a continuous series of questionnaires. Conclusions are drawn as to the effect of these changes and archaeological implications evaluated.La plupart des études ethno-archéologiques sont basées sur des communautés uniques durant des périodes courtes. Etant donné que l'archéologie apprécie de plus en plus le processus de changement à long terme, c'est très important de connaître le fonctionnement des anciennes communautés en étudiants des communautés comparables durant des longues périodes pour pouvoir démarquer des changements pertinents; notamment dans le domaine de la formation des sites, l'utilisation de la culture matérielle, des réactions á l'environnement, et l'impact politique. L'étude du village ghanéen de Hani, successeur de l'ancienne ville médiévale de Begho (ca. AD 1100–1800) est unique parce que c'est le résultat d'une étude progressive de plus de 28 ans. Pendant cette période, la carte de la ville a été tracée sept fois, les activités d'agriculture et de collecte ont été étudiées pendant les saisons différents, et les changements de la culture matérielle ont été enregistrées. Les attitudes et réactions aux changements d'environnement, ainsi que les changements politiques et économiques, ont été documentés à l'aide d'une série continue des questionnaires. Des conclusions ont été tirées sur les effets de ces changements et les implications archéologiques sont évaluées.
Archaeology and the local community in Africa: A retrospective
One of my abiding principles in research has been to involve the community as much as possible. History is not the preserve of the investigator but it represents the identity and integrity of the people most involved whose ancestors we disturb. The descendants of those ancestors have the most vital stake in our work. We spent a great deal of time listening to those descendants. We normally worked though the chief and his elders but we also tried to spend as much time exploring the lives of the people, visiting them on their farms and learning about their fantastic knowledge of the environment, especially of plants. For many years we conducted questionnaires to discover changes in their lives. We had closeness to the land where we were working – the researchers wanted to find out about the ancestors, the villagers hoped to achieve pride in their past and prosperity for their children. Though Africa has witnessed a greater share of adventure archaeology in which sites are dug because of their prestige and often in avoidance of local involvement (‘interference’ as regarded by the non-indigenous archaeologist), it has been impossible to exclude the impact of the local community. Resident and descendant communities have only slowly come into play as archaeology becomes integrated into the educational system and the development of museums and monuments services. The consequent attempt to understand communities outside the major urban centres has led to folk museums and finally the development of integrated research programmes. Archaeology developed differently in colonial Africa from archaeology in Britain and France, the metropolitan centres of Imperial and later colonial power. In Britain, in particular, archaeology in the 19th century grew from the grass roots of community involvement. Many regional archaeological societies, most often on a county framework, developed thriving local clubs and societies that had an interest in local history and archaeology. Several societies built up respectable libraries and organized regular programmes of talks to cater for their groups. The membership of many societies, often composed of loyal Anglican churchgoers, were mainly interested in their old local churches, abandoned monastic sites and medieval art and architecture, though not exclusively, since an interest in Roman archaeology was also cultivated. Many of the societies produced transactions that allowed their members to describe the antiquities of the areas in which they lived. Several groups organized excavations of their recognized antiquities. As archaeology developed in the 20th century, several societies provided funds or support for young professionally trained archaeologists to work on their sites where society members could also participate. As a graduate researcher in the English Midlands in the 1950s, I was greatly assisted by such societies as the Thoroton Society in Nottingham, the Derbyshire Archaeological Society, the Northamptonshire Natural History Society and Field Club, and the Leicestershire Archaeological Society. My earliest papers were all published in the pages of their well-edited scholarly journals. One of the ambitions of the more scholarly members who wrote for their local journals was to be eventually elected as Fellows of the distinguished national Society of Antiquaries of London that began in the 17th century. Many of the county societies regarded themselves as custodians of their local past. These societies were regarded as somewhat exclusive and arcane and, like many societies Britain in the first half of the 20th century, required known existing members to introduce prospective members often
Complex thoracic vascular injury repair using deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest.
A 61-year-old man with a penetrating injury to the innominate artery, left common carotid artery, and left subclavian artery at their origins from the aortic arch with associated injuries to both innominate veins and an innominate artery to vein fistula after a single stab wound is described. The patient was managed successfully using cardiopulmonary bypass together with deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest. Presentation and management are discussed.