Gold Mining and its Effects through the Lens of an Archaeologist: Experiences from the Prestea Area, South Western Ghana

Abstract

Gold has a historical, economic and cultural heritage in Ghana’s past. Over two millennia, its exploration, mining and trade has fascinated many. Mining and its associated effects on the environment have recently generated heated debates among stakeholders. Various research has been conducted on the subject; however, little ethnoarchaeological inquiries have been done in Ghana. This paper presents the effects of the mining industry from an ethnoarchaeological perspective at Prestea and its environs. The evidence shows the various effects of mining on both the natural environment and the socio-economic and cultural structures in the Prestea area of southwestern Ghana.