The Museum of Archaeology at the University of Ghana on 20th August, 2025 launched a ten-day exhibition that explores the country’s rich and diverse heritage.
The opening attracted students, lecturers and culture enthusiasts who experienced five carefully curated projects highlighting stories of identity, resilience and nationhood.
Dr Gertrude Aba Mansah Eyifa-Dzidzienyo, Chief Curator of the Museum of Archaeology and course instructor, explained that the exhibition formed the practical component of graduate training for students pursuing the MA in Exhibition Development and Management and the PhD in Curatorship and Exhibition Development.
“After going through the theory components, the end-of-semester task is to practically show what they have learnt. This time, the five exhibitions bring out different aspects of Ghanaian heritage, showing that every aspect of our heritage can find a place in the museum space,” she said.
Among the standout projects was Our Ghanaian Heritage in Stamps, curated by George Bossompim and Ernest K. Fiador, which presented postage stamps as visual archives of Ghana’s development.
The display honoured national leaders such as Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Dr K.A. Busia, J.J. Rawlings and J.A. Kufuor, alongside women achievers including Dr Efua Sutherland, Nana Yaa Asantewaa, Rebecca Naa Deide Aryeetey, Dr Esther Ocloo and Justice Annie Jiagge.
Visitors traced milestones of nation-building through six themes: founding visionaries, economic identity, national development, environmental stewardship, women achievers and cultural identity.
Atswere Sane: Ghana’s Boxing Heritage*, curated by Sarah Lotus Asare, explored boxing’s deep cultural roots in coastal Accra. Through artefacts, photographs, video and testimonies, the exhibition revealed the sport as more than international glory. It portrayed boxing as a path out of poverty and a symbol of community pride.
In Silenced Tales of a School Uniform, by Nii Boye Tagoe and Dorcas Adjoa Danquah, school uniforms became a lens into Ghana’s colonial legacies, religious influences and socio-economic divides. The project highlighted hidden narratives of power and inequality within the country’s education system.
Perhaps the most innovative was The Golden Pod, curated by Edwin Senanu Atoklo and Magdalene Eyram Kwashie. Using virtual reality headsets, visitors were transported to cocoa farms, following the crop’s journey from seed to harvest. Many described the experience as if they were physically present on the farm, a vivid reminder of cocoa’s place in Ghana’s heritage.
The journey concluded with Order in Court: Ghana’s Legal Heritage, curated by Etse Senyo Axame, Esq. and Joseph Astaley Ashley. A miniature courtroom, complete with judges’ robes, wigs and archival reports, showcased the leadership of Ghana’s Chief Justices and traced the evolution of the country’s jurisprudence.
The atmosphere at the opening was charged with excitement, with each presentation drawing applause and admiration.
For many, the exhibition was more than an academic showcase, but a rediscovery of Ghana’s past through creative scholarship.
The exhibition runs until 4th September, 2025 at the University of Ghana Museum of Archaeology and is open to the public.
See photos below:
