r/AfricanHistory • u/rhaplordontwitter • Jul 06 '25

The indigenous versus foreign origins of West Africa’s pre-colonial architecture.

https://www.africanhistoryextra.com/p/the-indegenous-versus-foreign-origins
33 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

1 comment sorted by

6

u/rhaplordontwitter Jul 06 '25

Previous research on West African architecture often stressed the foreign influences of its more complex forms, but recent studies have shown that West African construction styles were products of endogenous developments and internal processes unique to the region.

The technologies of brickmaking, the construction of rectilinear multi-story structures with vaulted ceilings and ornamented walls, were all accomplished primarily through internal processes unique to the region.

This article introduces the history of the Asante style of Architecture in pre-colonial Ghana, which was one of the most celebrated among the non-Muslim societies of West Africa.