Archaeology, Culture and History of Birifoh-Sila Yiri, Ghana

This research is an archaeological survey and excavation of Birifoh-Sila Yiri in the Upper West Region of Ghana. It examines aspects of the material culture of this area of the Upper West Region. Birifoh is occupied by a section of the Lobi called "Lobi-Wiili",a term coined out by Goody to classify them (Goody, 1967: 24). But the people prefer to be called Birifoulee a name derived from Birifor, a Lobi dialect.This Lobi ethnolinguistic group currently occupies the northwestern portion of Ghana along the Black Volta River (see Figure 1). Our knowledge on Birifoh history and culture has been based on Jack Goody's documentations on aspects of the culture of the Lobi with particular reference to the Birifoulee. Goody, a British representative and an anthropologist stationed in that part of the region studied the culture of the Birifoulee in the early 1950s and 1960s.

Mr. Mahmoud Malik Saako was born on 27th April, 1976 to the late Mr. Abdulai Mahmoud Saako (alias Wangara) and Madam Mahama Hawa Sungumo. He had his Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) degree in Archaeology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in the Study of Religions and Archaeology from University of Ghana in 2009 and 2003 respectively.