Anthropology Assignment: The Akan Drum's History and Impact

This report examines the Akan drum, an object selected from the BBC/British Museum project "A History of the World in 100 Objects." The assignment focuses on the Akan drum's significance in African-American culture, tracing its origins in Ghana and its journey through the transatlantic slave trade to its presence in the United States and Europe. The report explores the drum's role as a symbol of cultural identity, resistance, and entertainment for enslaved Africans. It highlights how the drum, made from wood and animal materials, was used to maintain cultural traditions and foster a sense of community, despite the oppressive conditions of slavery. Furthermore, the report discusses how the drum's rhythm and sound triggered rebellion and cultural values. It also analyzes the historical context, including the misidentification of the drum and its eventual recognition as an artifact of African origin, illustrating the drum's global displacement and enduring legacy. The report references the object's presence in the collections of the British Museum and the BBC's historical project. The report concludes by considering the drum as a symbol of both suffering and hope, reflecting on the resilience and cultural continuity of African people in the face of adversity.

Running head: ANTHROPOLOGY
ANTHROPOLOGY
Name of the Students
Name of the University
Authors note

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Akan drum is the symbol of African-American musical cultural, which arouses their urge
for identity and cultural values. It was named after the name of the place where it was made,
which is a region, called Akan situated in Ghana. The beat, rhythm and sound that this drum
makes triggers the rebellion side of the African people, which became a risk for their planters.
This drum is made with a combination of some parts of woods and some parts of animal
materials. This drum was used and exercised by African people solely for their entertainment.
Akan drum is one of the oldest African American objects. It was found in the colony of Virginia
in early 1700 to late 1800s (MacGregor, 2020). Currently colony of Virginia is a part of United
States of America, however the drum was created in a region in Ghana named Akan, which is
situated in West Africa, and it is believed that this drum would have been played in this place
during social occasions and religious ceremonies. According to the gathered information, the
drum has probably been carried across the Atlantic. It was brought on a slave ship where it had
been exercised by the enslaved Africans in order to keep them entertained. It is stated that
approximately more than twelve million African people were brought to the America between
the year 1501, and the slave trade has been abolished in the year 1800. They were transported in
order to deliver plantation of rice and sugar and for making mines, later they were used for
making tobacco and cotton as well. Along with other musical traditions of Africa along with
drumming has continued in the colonies and gave birth to various kinds of music including
Hollers, Fife, Work songs, Shouts and drum and spirituals music (MacGregor, 2020).
In the era of slave trade, drums were considered as enormously influential objects in Africa-
America. They were used and exercised by African on the middle passage, storing them for slave
labours and it is believed that Akan drum have reached Virginia in such a manner. Guitars and
drums were often played by African – American and it was considered that the rhythm of drums

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were highly dangerous as they inspired their sense of community and identity and strengthen
their rebellion nature (MacGregor, 2011). This clearly shows that music and musical instruments
especially Akan drum arouses the Africans sense of identity and strengthens there cultural value.
A unique collection regarding slave artefacts been amassed by Sloane in the 18th century:
clothing, nooses, whips, tools, weapons and other anatomical remains. These objects however
were correspondent's gifts. Giving objects in the form of gifts integrates the judgement of others
as to the desire of collectors, which presents that many contemporaries has considered Sloane as
the most popular natural historian of Caribbean’s to have a strong interest about slaves and
slavery. But there is a twist, which is that the Akan drum has been identified by Sloane as an
Indian drum instead of an African one, which shows that even if there true identity or image
might be submerged, the objects of African has survived and at the same time circulated as slave
traders persuade to reduce their creators and users to chattel (MacGregor, 2020). The saga of this
drum is narration of global displacement. As this drums has been transported to the America by
the enslaved African's, the drum itself was carried to Virginia from Africa and later in the new
phase of its existence, it has been taken to London by a slave owner. After the drum, the slave
children were also taken to England, who are the descendants of the West African, Afro
Caribbean and African Americans slaves, and they stay together in the cosmopolitan town, and
they used to exercise the drum, and it has become a typical Londoner of twenty first century
(MacGregor, 2011).
Hence, on one hand, witnessing such an ancient object like this invites various
interpretation and such objects can be considered as a potent element that carries memories of
ghastly, horrible and wicked things that has happened during the period of slave trade. On the
other hand, it can also be considered as a symbol of possibilities regarding holding on through all

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the suffering in the hope of desire for a new time. Akan drum shows both positive and negative
sides of a society, where on one side it shows the sufferings of African slave people but on the
other side it also shows their arousal of rebellion sense and entertainment at the same time.

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References:
MacGregor, N (2020). BBC - A History of the World - Object : Akan drum. Retrieved 23 March
2020, from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/iTEvLsbQRxilYjAO5TZ3mA
MacGregor, N. (2011). A History of the World in 100 Objects. Penguin UK.