The community entry
…in a traditional seating arrangement, two elders of Akamada in the Klor traditional area pinned themselves to the floor of one of the houses that make up the 125 houses to welcome the team of 15 to their land.
On the right-hand side of them sat our host, Achanso Koreyerto, the earth priest, adorned in an African fabric with its length covering his feet. In his native Gonja language, he greeted and welcomed us.
The team members responded to the greetings by lying on our sides, following the lead of Mr. Kassim Yazid, the chief executive of the East Gonja Municipality.
Then came the time for a “mission statement”. Mr Imrana Jawula, a member of the team, painstakingly presented an elaborate one and then sought permission from Achanso Koreyerto and the elders to venture into the woods.
“Your sons, led by the MCE, with these visitors, are here to ask for your permission to visit the location where Sumaila Ndewura Jakpa’s footprint, wari (owari game board), and his wife’s kneecap are located,” Mr Jawula informed the elders.
The team of archaeologists from the University of Ghana’s School of Arts, the CEO of the Ghana Tourism Dev’t Company, the East Gonja MCE and deputy coordinating director, the founder of Tourism Investment Solutions and assembly members sought permission from the earth priest of Akamade before venturing into the woods. Image: Prince Ackah Blay | Sept. 2025.
The decision-making time.
For close to 10 minutes, there were murmurs among the elders. “Now is not the best time to see them,” were the conversations that were taking place, according to Mr Jawula.
It is September 2025, a rainy season in Ghana’s savannah area. It is not the best time of year to visit a dense forest to view ground-based artefacts. When the grasses have all withered during the dry season, those can be seen.
In a matter of seconds, a white envelope passed from his team to the earth deity via an elderly man after a visibly agitated Mr Yazid gestured to Mr Abu Ibrahim, the deputy coordinating director.
The token was for the earth god “to open the roads and unveil the known relics to us”.
The Builsa “queen” leading a “pack” of Gonja men.
In the same way that Yaa Asantewa of the Ashanti Kingdom led her men to battle, I led over twenty Gonjamen, both young and old, Professor Wazi Apoh, dean of the University of Ghana’s school of arts, and Professor Kobby Mensah, chief executive officer of the Ghana Tourism Development Company, and his team into the woods.
Armed with cutlasses, the young men knew they were going to clear the weeds for us to see the artefacts discovered centuries ago.
Like the 15-member team, the cutlasses took pleasure in a 6.2 nautical mile (11.4824 km) cruise on the M.V. Nana Besemuna ferry across Makango and Yeji, in the Pru East District and East Gonja Municipality of the Savannah and Bono East Regions of Ghana.
“The expedition would expose others within that enclave,” were my convincing words to Professor Kobby Mensah to get them to join.
“ZAMI”, said Professor Mensah, “I think we should hike.”
“It will take us about 50 minutes from here. We can hike if the others are okay.” I asked. Finally, there was a consensus to hike the remaining distance after driving for about 15 minutes, stopping occasionally to cut tree stumps along the way.
Some residents of Akamade cut tree stumps that obstructed our drive to the woods. Image: Prince Ackah Blay | September 2025.
Unconsciously, three groups were formed. With the playful reminder that “I am Yagbon-wura’s first wife” and threats to report them to him if they disobeyed my instructions, I led one pack in the front.
All hopes of the travelled team clung to mine. But that of Professor Wazi Apoh of the Department of Archaeology Studies appeared to have dwindled minutes into the hike when he stumbled on a rock with what are clearly geological effects.
“If these are what you observed, then geological impact may be the cause, ZAMI.”
“No, Professor,” I assured him. “I knew what I discovered. I heard my voice tell my soul to keep calm.
The reckoning.
There I stood, one of the only two females in the squad. In one command, I beckoned “my Gonja husbands” to follow my lead, ten yards into the turn on my right. But sooner had we arrived at the spot than they all surrounded the known wari (grooves in some rocks).
Still not noticing the other rocks. I pointed out my discovery to the MCE and the professors. There was dead silence for a minute. “There is clearly Arabic in these carvings,” came the silence breaker from Mr Yazid. The residents moved closer to catch a glimpse. For about ten minutes, they stared at the first rock.
Some members of the team try to make sense of what laid before us. Image: Prince Ackah Blay | September 2025.
We saw some “texts”; Prof. Wazi saw an “act of nature”. Not so convinced, he began measuring the rocks with the grooves. “The grooves are unquestionably anthropologic,” he said.
Professor Wazi Apoh from the University of Ghana’s School of Arts explains the need for further study to establish the content of the artwork on the rocks to Mr. Kassim Yazid, the East Gonja MCE, and Professor Kobby Mensah of the Ghana Tourism Development Company and others. Image: Prince Ackah Blay | September 2025.
While the others continued to stare at the rock, those with the cutlasses immediately started trimming the bushes, unfazed by the expert’s remark.
Washing the first rock.
The ruse to convince him increased. Yussif Shaban, the assembly member for the Jemtito electoral area, dug through the sand that covered parts of the rock with his bare fingers.
In an effort to uncover the carvings, Madam Fatima Musa, a PhD candidate in rock art at the University of Ghana’s Department of Archaeology Studies, started slowly sluicing her bottled water onto the rock.
Madam Fatima Musa, a PhD candidate in rock art at the University of Ghana’s School of Arts carefully sluiced her bottled water on the first rock to reveal the inscription. Image: Prince Ackah Blay | September 2025.
Playing like a movie before our eyes, some texts became clearer. We gazed in awe and with deep concentration as though an instruction to keep silence had been issued.
“This is Allah” (God), she remarked, gesturing to one of the carvings.
The rock has 23 plates which appear deliberately carved. While the Muslims took turns in drawing with their fingers what “Arabic” inscription they could identify, close by, a clearer inscription on a smaller rock read, “Allahu Akbar”, which means “God is most great.”
At a glance, the Muslims among the team read “Allahu Akbar” (God is most great) inscribed on a smaller rock. Image: Zubaida Ismail | September 2025.
“It was among the two rocks that I saw on the 28th of August 2025,” I said as I led them to it.
The explorer.
“ZAMI”, a shout of my name came from another direction. “Come and see,” Mr Jawula beckoned me to a sight.
A rock with a larger surface with texts laid. This time, the sand excavation with bare fingers began again, and the rock seemed to be jealously shielded by a carpet of sand. A smaller rock with text carved halfway from one edge lay next to this fully texted rock.
“It is now becoming convincing that these are anthropologic,” said Professor Wazi. Unlike the other rocks around here, these are carefully segmented and appear done,” he said while staring at the rock.
The twin rocks with carvings that appear to be a full message left hidden for centuries. Image: Adams Iddrisu | September 2025.
“I can read Allahu Akbar,” Su-ad Bamba Jamal, my Muslim daughter, said when I shared an image with her.
“I have seen Bismillahi Rahman Rahim on one of them,” an Islamic cleric also revealed.
“Could this place have served as the first Islamic school (Makaranta)?” Professor Apoh quizzed us as we made our way back to our lodging in Jemtito, also in the Klor Traditional area.
The scholarly perspectives so far.
The texts might be Kufic, an old Islamic handwriting script, according to Professor Wazi’s suggestion prior to the expedition. Kufic letters, which originated in Kufa, Iraq, are built on straight lines and geometric shapes, giving them a rigid, blocky appearance.
Some Islamic scholars argue that these could also be characteristics of the Suwarian tradition, while others think they could be texts from the Gonja’s Ajami literature.
The phrase “Ajami literature” refers to writings by non-Arabic speakers that represent their native tongues using a modified Arabic script. Gonja Ajami, the Gonja language’s writing in Ghana using this script, is one instance of this.
The Gonja people, like other Muslim communities, used this adaptation of the Arabic script for a range of subjects, including religious, historical, and legal matters, prior to the development of European colonial scripts.
Developed by Sheikh Suwari, the Suwarian tradition is a non-military, peaceful interpretation of Islam in West Africa that places a strong emphasis on coexistence with non-Muslims.
Unlike armed jihad, it encourages the development of piety and knowledge, acknowledges the legitimacy of non-Muslim authorities when protection is offered, and relies on God’s will for conversion.
This tradition, which has historically been associated with Dyula scholars and traders, had an influence on parts of West Africa, despite being challenged by subsequent jihad movements.
The spiritual instance.
One of the scholars presented a spiritual argument in a voice note, saying, “Whoever discovered this site must have some special grace. The neighbourhood needs to make sure that no one steps on them or urinates on them. They are hallowed grounds.”
Additional rocks within the enclave.
At least nine rocks with various pieces of art were recorded. While some showed what has not yet been proven, others showed signs of human activity. They included what appeared to be a horseshoe, a wrist, a person’s buttocks, the grooves, and texts.
Mama’s prayer.
According to the myths, some well-known artefacts believed to hold the heritage of Sumaila Ndewura Jakpa scattered across the Savannah Region “miraculously disappeared” during visits.
As you may remember from my first visit, despite being escorted by some community members, we did not see the footprint and kneecap amidst the search.
With this playing in my mind, I knelt down before my mother, ACFOII Jemima Musah (rtd), a three-time hajj pilgrim, for her prayers on the morning of the 11th of September 2025 as I got ready to commence my journey to East Gonja.
“I pray for you all each day,” she said with her rosary in hand as she continued her first salat of the day. But I would not budge. “Lay your hands on me and pray for me,” I insisted.
I was certain that Mama’s prayer would avail more than I had hoped for, and I was not leaving the house without it. I was not ready for a hide-and-seek game.
The plot thickens.
Are these Kufic Islamic calligraphy?
Do they belong to the Ajami literature era, or are they artworks preaching co-existence by Muslims with non-Muslims as depicted by the Suwarian tradition?
Could those on the twin rocks be a complete verse or message?
Which century do they belong to?
What is the relationship between Sumaila Ndewura Jakpa and these artefacts?
Could they signify early life before Ndewura?
Or maybe Ayuba, the well-known Arabic scholar that traversed the savannah with Ndewura, left a message?
And the grooves, are they really the Wari board game, or could they signify something else?
The investment case.
Well, as the scholars burn the night candles to unravel the mystery, one thing is for sure: a new discovery sits in this tale which could become one of Ghana’s ancient heritage sites with the appropriate investment, and I am so game to take my rightful place as the discoverer in this history and to tell the folklore to my grandchildren….
To be continued.
The writer is the director of Tourism Investment Solutions, a journalist, and a co-author of the Larabanga Anthology, short stories from Savannah. Contact Miss Ismail at zubaidais16@gmail.com for an expedition to the site.