MariaReveche

HonorsWL9
March27,2015

JournalTranscript

ENTRY.1(300C.E.)
Thingsnoticeduponsteppingoutofthetimemachine
thelandisflatandtheairisdry
everyoneisrunningaroundandseemsverybusy
thedwellingsaroundmearemadeofsundriedmud.veryfewaremadeofwoodorstone
themenandwomenarewearingplainsmocks

(MORNING)TodaywasthedayIdfinallyarrived.Theancientciv.ofGhana,atlast!Idarrivedwithmy
teamwhichisjustmeandmytwoassistants.Wedecidedtodropinduringthebeginningstodocument
thediscoveryofironandseehowGhanaprosperedasanewkingdom.

Whatluck!Weveseemedtocomeontheverydaythatironwasdiscovered.Citizensalloverhavent
noticedusyetastheyareallrunningtothesourceoftheiron.Thingsaregettinghecticinth

Itsnownightandtheairhasgottenconsiderablycooler.Thepeoplearestillattheironsourceminingas
muchastheycan,anditseemslikeitwilltaketherestofthenight.Ayoungwomanhasnoticedusand
agreedtoletussleepinherdwelling.Wereonourwaytherenow.

ENTRY.2(300C.E.PART.2)
ItsnowmorningtimeofmyseconddayinancientGhana.Wehadtheprivilegeofsleepinginthe
dwellingofakindyoungGhanaianwomanandherchild.AsofthismomentmyassistantsandIare
eatingamealofplantainsoupwithboiledyam.Ourconversationwiththewomanbeforenowwentas
follows:

Assis/1:Thankyoukindlyforallowingustostayhere.Weappreciateyourfinecookingandapologizefor
bargingin.
Woman(differentlanguage,roughlytranslated):ItisnoproblemtoKwafkuandI.Thoseinourvillage
haveapolicy:donotturndownthoseinneedofshelter,forifyoudonot,Godwillnotgiveyoushelterin
return.
Assis/2:Whatakindsaying!
commotionoutside*
Woman:Pleaseexcuse.Themeninourvillageseemtobeveryexcitedtoday.Fromthediscoveryofiron
inourlittlevillagesmine,thekinghasheard.Hewillbearrivingasthemoonrisesonthisdayfora
celebration,andourleadersarepreparingafeast.
Assis/1:Wow,theking!Itmustbeanhonortoyourvillage.

Woman:Yes,soitis.

Weleftherhomeafterbreakfasttosurveyoursurroundings.However,thisisnoeasytask.Thecitizens
areworkingthemselveshardtopreparetheirvillageforthekingsarrival.Allaroundus,foodisbeing
stewedoveropenflames,basketsofvegetablesarebeingbroughttothecenter,anddeadfish,goatsand
chickenarebeingpreparedforslaughter.

ENTRY.3(300C.E.PART3)
Thekingishere!Nighthasarrivedandacoolbreezesweepsoverthemassivefeast,sendingthe
wonderfulscentsflyingoverthevillage.Alargefireburnsinthecenterofthevillageandthekingsits
atopthehighestchair,adornedwithgloriousfabricscoloredpurple,green,andgold.Alloverhisbody
arepiecesofjewelrymadeofgold.Despitehissuperiorappearance,heseemssurprisinglyapproachable
andvillagersareateasespeakingtohim.

Notwantingtodrawunwantedattention,myassistantsandIhastilytakesomefoodbeforefindingthe
timemachineandheadingtoournextdestination.Wevegatheredenoughinformationfromthistime
period.

ENTRY.4(992C.E.)
Thingsnoticeduponsteppingoutofthetimemachine:
wehadarrivedinadifferentvillage,orwhatappearedtobeadifferentvillage
thelandwasmuchmorecolonized
theheatwasstillblistering
everyonearoundlookedveryexcitedandhappy
therewasmuchmoregoldaroundthanbefore

Wedecidedtomovefarforward,takingagiantjumpof600yearsinthefuture.Werenowinanother
village,butitsimpossibletotellifthiswasthesameonewehadseeninthepast.Irecognizednothing.

Asweremakingourwaytothecenterofthevillage,childrenarerunningaroundus,screamingwithjoy.
Adults,tooseemtobeinachippermood.Theirwalkingwithsmilesontheirfaces.Itsapparenttome
thatthisvillageisverycontent,orsomethinggoodhashappenedtothekingdomasawhole.Wedecideto
stopandaskacitizen.

Assis/1:Excuseme,
Oldman:Ah,hello!
Assis/1:Wewerejustwonderingwhyeveryoneseemstobeinsuchagoodmoodtoday.Didsomething
happenrecently?
Oldman:Whyyes,ofcourse!Haventyouheard?Actually,uponinspectionIcanseethatyouallarenot
fromhere.Please,allowmetoexplain.Recentlyourkingsarmyhascapturedanewland!Itwasagreat
victory,nothinglessexpected.That,myboy,iswhyweareallsohappy!

Assis/1:Howamazing!Weseemtohavedroppedinonanotherconvenienttime.Willyouhavea
celebrationofsomesort?
Oldman:Ofcourse!Ourgriotwilltelltheoriginstoriesinfrontofthefiretonight.Isuggestyouattend.

Aftertalkingitoverwithmyassistants,wedecidetostayforthestorytellingandmakeourexitlater.

Itsnownighttime,andthefamiliarbreezeisblowingtowardsalargefireinthecenterofthevillage.
Thevillagesinhabitantsaregatheredaroundit,whileamanwearingcolorfulclothing(nothingas
luxuriousasthekingofthepast)andholdingaharplikeinstrumentissingingasong.Behindhimare
differentdrumplayerswearingunusualclothing.Themusicandsongseemtobeinvokinganemotion
withinthevillage.Everyonearoundmeiscryingorsingingalong.

Wechosetoleavethevillageataninconspicuoustime,whileeveryonewasdancingandyellingwiththe
Griot.

ENTRY.5(1000C.E.)
Eightyearslater,theGhanakingdomhaspeaked.

WearenowwalkingthroughwhatappearstobetheheartofGhana,itscapitalcityKoumbiSaleh.The
peoplearedancingaround,dogsarerunningaroundwithcollarsofgold,andeverywheresomeoneis
sellingsomething.AsidefromtheAfricans,therearealsodistinctlyMiddleEasternpeople.Theymust
havealreadybeguntradingwithotherpeople.Everyonelooksbusy,butnoonelooksunhappy.

You,you!Whereareyoufrom?
Foreigners!IfyouarelookingformightyGhanasgold,looknofurther!
Silkhere!Salthere!Anythingyouneed,foragoodtrade!

Thingslikethesearebeingshoutedatusaswewalkthrough.Iguessthatforeignersarebeingpaid
closerattentionto,consideringtheyarethemainsourceofincome.

You,youthree!Whereareyougoing?Amancomesuptoask.
Assis/1:Uhh
Wewillhavetochargeyouifyouregoingtogoalongourtraderoute.
Assis/2:Oh!Werenotleavingyet,so..

Howcleveroftheking!Ihadalmostforgottenthattheyhadstartedchargingtraderstaxestopass
through.NowondertheempireofGhanaseemssowelloffnow.

ENTRY.6

(1054C.E.)
Takingabiggerskipthistime,weendupatthecapitalagain,but56yearslater.Thepeoplearestillbusy
asever,workinghardtooffertheirgoodstoforeigntraders.However,theatmosphereiscompletely
different.Everyonelooksonedge,asifsomethingiswrong.


Myassistantstellmethatwevearrivedatadifficulttimefortheempire.IbnYasin,theMaliki
theologian,hasjustcapturedAwdaghust.Everyoneisworriedthattheywillmaketheirwasacrossthe
wholekingdom.

Shouldwestayhereduringthistimeofuneasiness?Itfeelsasifwearewatchingthebeginningof
Ghanasdownfall.

ENTRY.7(1062C.E.)
Hey!Heyyouthree!Findshelterfastoryoullbeintrouble!Theyreback!

ThatswhataGhanaianmanhadscreamedatusafterwehadexitedthetimemachineandwalkedinto
anothermajorcity(Icantellbecauseitsverydeveloped)
Now,myteamandIaresittinginasmallclosedoffshopwithawomanandhertwodaughters.My
assistantsconversationwithherisgoinglikethis:

Assis/2:Weapologizeforourintrusion.
Woman:Noworries!Iwouldratherhaveyouthreeinherethenoutthere.IcouldntforgivemyselfifI
hadleftyououtintheopen.
Assis/1:Sorry..butissomethinghappening?Someonetoldustheyrebackassoonaswedarrived.
Woman:Yes,actuallyourcityhasbeenthetargetofforeignsoldiers.Muslimsoldiers.Ourgovernment
officialstellusthattheyaretryingtocapturetherestoftheempire,butIknowthatourGhana,our
warriorking,willprotectus.
Assis/2:Sothatswhatsgoingon!Sothendoesthatmeanthatsitsunsafetobeoutside?
Woman:Thatisso.Youcantseeanyonetherenow,buttheyrecentlybreachedourwalls.Oncethat
happened.,everyoneinthestreetswereassaulted,severelyinjured,andsomewerekilled.Wehideinfear
thattheyllbreakourfortificationsagain.Oh!Butwedohavemenoutthere.Myhusband,forexampleis
helpingdefendthewall.
Assis/1:Doesthishappenoften?
Woman:Theycomeveryoften.Theyconstantlyattack,tryingtofindanotherwayin.ButIonlyhavea
lickoffear,forIknowthatourGhanawillsendussoldierstoprotectus.Healwayshas.
Assis/2:Isee..soyoutrustyourkingalot.

Fortherestofourstayhere,wetalkedtothewomanmorebeforeeventuallysteppingoutandrunningto
thetimemachine.

ENTRY.8(1062C.E.)
Thistime,wereinthesameyearbutafewmonthsinthefuture.Ourtimemachinetookusonceagainto
thecapitalofGhana,butinadifferentarea.Werestandinginfrontofanextremelylavishlivingarea
withothermembersofthecity.Infrontofthedwellingare10largehorses,eachcleanandtame,
wrappedingoldembroideredclothsandseemingtowaitpatientlyforsomething.Actually,myassistants

andInotethateveryonegatheredherethewholecityinfact,seemtobewaitingpatiently,insilent
respect.

Suddenly,thedoortothedwellingisopeninginaflash.Icounttenpages,holdinggoldshieldsand
swordsastheyrefilingoutinaline.

Now,amanwearingthefinestclothandadornedwithgoldbracelets,necklaces,andahighcap
decoratedwithgoldwalksout.Everyonearoundmeisalreadyontheground,bowingtothegreatking.

MyassistanttellsmethatthisisKingTenkamenin,whowasconsideredtobethemostpowerful
Ghanaianking.Apparently,thecountryofGhanareacheditsheightofgreatnessunderhimandhewas
recentlycrowned.

ENTRY.9(1076C.E.)
Thetimemachineisskippingpassshorterperiodsnow,soIknowthatwerenearingthefallofthe
empire.Iaskedoneofmyassistantswherewewereinhistory,andshetoldmethatweare,infactatthe
beginningofGhanasdecline.TheCaliph,orleaderoftheMuslimcommunityAbuBakrhasjust
capturedthecapitalofGhana.However,ourtimemachinetookustoasmallercitywherethechaos
hadntaffected.ThiscitysGriotishangingaroundthecenterofthecity,tellinganyonewhowantsto
knowaboutthestateoftheempire.Everyonelooksstrained,butthelocalofficials,(identifiedbytheir
superiorclothing)aretryingtheirbesttoreassureeveryonethattheywouldnotfall.

ENTRY.10(1080C.E.)
Justfouryearslater,myteamandIaresurprisedtofindthatthingshavechangeddrasticallyherein
Ghana.WevefoundourselvesbackinKoumbiSaleh,andeverythingisonceagainasitwaswhenGhana
wasatitspeak80yearsago.Thebusymerchantsnolongerlookuneasyorafraid.Itappearsthatthe
empireofGhanahasrisentopoweronceagain!Whatanicesighttoseeforourlasttimeskip.Weknow,
ofcourse,thatGhanadoesntofficiallyfalluntilitbecomespartoftheMaliempire200yearsfromnow,
butourtimemachinetellsusthatwehavetogobacktoourowntime.Howfortunatewearetoseethe
kingdomofGhanasonelastrisetopower.