Based on extensive archeological and written sources, Volker Stamm investigates the organization, development, and productivity of agriculture in the West-African savannah from approx. 1000 to 1900, thereby gaining insights on the realities of life prior to colonial rule. He elucidates an aspect of West African history hitherto neglected by researchers who have focused instead on discovery, trade contacts, and colonization.
Volker Stamm