Traditional Gold Mining in Adanse

Abstract

For centuries, the people of Adanse worked and mined gold, and their goldfields were one source of supply of gold to the Trans Saharan traders and to the European market before and during colonial administration of the Gold Coast. The Adanse gold miners used simple but effective technology, and kept Europe supplied with enormous quantities of gold especially between the thirteenth and the nineteenth centuries. This article shows the sources of Adanse gold in the historic period, from the thirteenth to the nineteenth century. It also discusses gold production, the media of gold distribution, including trading and the impact of traditional mining on the people of Adanse.