Birimi is an

archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or recorded history, historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline ...

associated with the

Kintampo Complex The Kintampo complex, also known as the Kintampo culture, Kintampo Neolithic, and Kintampo Tradition, was established by Saharan agropastoralists, who may have been Niger-Congo or Nilo-Saharan speakers and were distinct from the earlier residi ...

, located in northern

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

between the towns of

Gambaga Gambaga is the capital of the East Mamprusi Municipal Assembly in the North East Region of Ghana. Once a residence of Mamprusi-kings it is still the capital of East Mamprusi Municipal Assembly, a municipality in the North East Region of Ghan ...

and

Nalerigu Nalerigu is the largest town in the East Mamprusi Municipal. It is home to the overlord of the kingdom of Mampurugu (NaYiri). With the addition of 6 new regions in 2018, Nalerigu was declared the capital of the North East Region of Ghana. H ...

, which was occupied during the

Middle Stone Age The Middle Stone Age (or MSA) was a period of African prehistory between the Early Stone Age and the Late Stone Age. It is generally considered to have begun around 280,000 years ago and ended around 50–25,000 years ago. The beginnings of ...

Later Stone Age The Later Stone Age (LSA) is a period in African prehistory that follows the Middle Stone Age. The Later Stone Age is associated with the advent of modern human behavior in Africa, although definitions of this concept and means of studyi ...

, and

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

Site

Birimi is an

that was discovered in the northern regions of Ghana. The site lies on the Gambaga escarpment, about 3.5 kilometers to the northwest of the town of Nalerigu. Excavations of the site begun in the year 1987, led by Francois Kense. These were also the first excavations in the wider area around this site. The Birimi site is situated primarily within a system of seasonal stream channels, which are covered with lithic artifacts and show signs of extractive activities. During research and excavation campaigns at Birimi, samples were taken to learn about the site and its broader region; these samples included pottery, burned daub, sediment, charcoal and palaeobotanical remains for stylistic,

archaeometry Archaeological science consists of the application of scientific techniques to the analysis of archaeological materials and sites. It is related to methodologies of archaeology. Martinón-Torres and Killick distinguish ‘scientific archaeology ...

and/or dating purposes.

Middle Stone Age

The earliest occupation phase of Birimi has been dated to the

. The material finds consist of a variety of different stone artifact forms including Levallois flakes and cores, disk cores, blades,

bifaces A hand axe (or handaxe or Acheulean hand axe) is a prehistoric stone tool with two faces that is the longest-used tool in human history. It is made from stone, usually flint or chert that has been "reduced" and shaped from a larger piece by kna ...

, notches, denticulates and retouched flakes and blades. In situ, artifacts can be found 1 meter below the surface level of the ground. However, these are not easily linked to other contemporaneous cultures of the Middle Stone Age due to Middle Stone Age sites of West Africa not being well understood.

Later Stone Age

The

occupation phase of Birimi, which is associated with the

and the origin of agriculture in

sub-Saharan Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

, has been dated between 3500 and 3000 BP. This former habitation makes for a very ceramic-rich layer on the site. This is the occupation layer of the site that has been investigated the most based on the clear presence of the Kintampo complex. Charred plant remains from Birimi show evidence of the cultivation of

pearl millet Pearl millet (''Cenchrus americanus'', commonly known as the synonym ''Pennisetum glaucum'') is the most widely grown type of millet. It has been grown in Africa and the Indian subcontinent since prehistoric times. The center of diversity, and ...

, which may have allowed the Kintampo people to be sedentary and establish a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

; there are indications for

wattle and daub Wattle and daub is a composite material, composite building method in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called "wattle (construction), wattle" is "daubed" with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, and ...

structures, as well as evidence of multiple building techniques present, resulting in multiple structures of varying sizes, which has been found at other Kintampo sites.

Iron Age

The

occupation phase roughly (600 to 200's BCE) of Birimi occurred in its western region. Kintampo settlement sites are often found near Iron Age sites. However, no Iron Age habitations have been found near the smelters. The ironworking activities can be found in the forms of multiple

slag The general term slag may be a by-product or co-product of smelting (pyrometallurgical) ores and recycled metals depending on the type of material being produced. Slag is mainly a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide. Broadly, it can be c ...

mounds and furnaces throughout the western region of Birimi.

References

{{Authority control Prehistoric Africa Stone Age Africa Archaeological sites in Ghana