Alternative site conservation strategies in Ghana: The adome ancient ironworking site

In Ghana and other West African nations, the study and conservation of various kinds of heritage property and designated World Heritage Sites have been receiving the attention of public and private institutions, research scholars, as well as international agencies. This paper reports on work the authors have been undertaking since March 2009 to study and conserve an ancient ironworking site situated within a built-up area of Adome, a relatively small community located along the Volta River in the Eastern Region of Ghana. It discusses the work within the context of heritage conservation in Ghana and the West African sub-region, highlighting specifi c challenges posed to site conservation within a heterogeneous community of people whose heritage is totally divorced from what is being studied and conserved. Specifi c strategies adopted to mitigate the challenges are presented.