Adansemanso

Oral traditions and origins Oral traditions recorded in the Adanse area describe Adansemanso as the first settlement "made" by Odumankoma after his departure from Akrokerri, and the foremost among the Akanman piesie nnum ("five elder children of Akanman"). The site lies approximately 1 kilometre west of Old Edubiase and about 8 kilometres east of Akrokerri. Tradition holds that Ewuarde Basa, the town's founder, emerged from a hole in the ground accompanied by his spokesperson, Ōkyɛame Ōkwame Nfrafo, and bore the sacred sword known as Afena Kwa. From Adansemanso, Basa ruled over Adanse until his unpopular rule, marked by tyranny and heavy-handedness, led subjects to criticize him indirectly. The saying "Yekasa Nfrafo, nso yene Awirade" ("we reproach Nfrafo, but we mean Awirade") refers to this period. One version of the oral tradition places the centralization in the 16th century, when Awurade Basa sought to unite the Adanse clans through the creation of the Afenakwa, a mystical sword conferring wartime leadership but no peacetime privileges. Another account, drawn from the same broader tradition but differing in date, situates the process in the first half of the 17th century, portraying Adanse as the most important state within a loose Akan confederation led by the Asenee clan, whose authority was reinforced by the shared worship of the deity Bona. A further version emphasizes that after Awurade Basa's death, Adansemanso's authority fragmented into smaller autonomous states, including Ayaase, Dompoase, Edubiase, and Fomena. Decline and conquest During the seventeenth century, the expanding Denkyira state exerted growing pressure on Adanse, eventually defeating it in the latter part of the century. In the aftermath, political cohesion collapsed and the former Adanse territories were incorporated into the Denkyira realm. Segments of Adanse clans migrated to establish or strengthen other Akan polities, taking with them elements of Adansemanso's political structures and religious practices. == Society ==

Adansemanso was the political and ritual centre of the Adanse state during periods of centralization. Governance was clan-based. The afenakwa and the worship of the deity Bona at Patakoro was the main unifying institution. The Bona priesthood oversaw annual festivals, including a yam festival in August or September and a year-end dance, during which sacred water (Bonasuo) from the Bona cave was distributed for purification. == Archaeology ==

Discoveries Adansemanso was investigated in the early 1990s as part of the Asante Archaeological Research Project. Located about 30 kilometres south of Kumasi in the Adanse–Amansie area, the site is identified in oral tradition as one of the Akanman piesie nnum ("five elder children" of Akanman). Test excavations in 1991 revealed red-burnished ceramics, iron-working debris, and other evidence of a large settlement. Radiocarbon analysis of multiple samples placed the main occupation between the 13th and 15th centuries CE. The finds confirm long-term occupation predating the 16th century, with no clear evidence of substantial later occupation.The lack of imported material, only three local pipes, one imported kaolin pipe, and two small imported sherds, supports this dating and matches with nearby 18th and 19th century sites where the artefacts are common. Excavations also identified asensie sites, ceremonial areas linked to the commemoration of the dead, which contained pottery vessels, unidentified objects, and terracotta heads similar to those found at Ahinsan and Twifo Heman. Once sacred, many of these sites have lost their ritual significance, with some built over by modern structures. Conclusion Excavations at Adansemanso uncovered a large, well-organised settlement, with its central area covering more than 11 hectares and marked by distinctive long earthen mounds identified as substantial architectural remains. Finds included iron slag, gold weights, crucibles, and a possible fragment of molten glass, pointing to a community engaged in both metallurgical production and trade.Radiocarbon dates show that complex political and economic systems in the central forest region emerged several centuries earlier than historians suggested with developing at the same time as northern forest fringe centres such as Begho and Bono Manso. These findings challenged older models of Akan state formation and emphasize the central forest's importance. == See also ==