An international research team from the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Goethe University Frankfurt, and the University of Chicago has published a new study in the prestigious international journal Antiquity. The authors include Patricia Ayipey, a PhD student at the Faculty of Arts, Alexa Höhn, Dela Kuma, and Patricia’s supervisor Jaromír Beneš. The study focuses on the unique archaeological site of Likpe Kukurantumi in Ghana, which represents a little-known type of earthwork settlement characterised by earthen embankments. By combining archaeological excavation, radiocarbon dating, and analyses of archaeobotanical and ethnobotanical materials, the research provides new insights into the lives of communities in West Africa between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries.
The results show that local populations made intensive use of surrounding vegetation, particularly oil palm, which served not only as food but also as construction material and a source for beverage production. The analysis of plant macro-remains links past land-use practices with present-day traditions, offering a deeper understanding of long-term human–environment interactions. An important aspect of the project is the active involvement of the local community in both fieldwork and data interpretation, demonstrating that modern archaeology is not only about the past but also about collaboration with present-day societies.
Special recognition goes to doctoral researcher Patricia Ayipey, who is part of the Faculty of Arts team and receives specialised training at the Laboratory of Archaeobotany and Palaeoecology (LAPE). Her work connects field research in Africa with advanced analytical methods developed in the Czech Republic.
📄 Article: https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2026.10318
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