357 2014 Underwater Archaeology Proceedings Ghana Maritime Archaeology Project: 2013 Field Season in Review Joseph Grinnan Darren Kipping Rachel Horlings Gregory Cook In 2013, a team of archaeologists led by Syracuse University’s Rachel Horlings arrived in Ghana, West Africa to in- vestigate the maritime heritage of the Elmina and Cape Coast regions. his was the most recent efort at conducting research as part of the Central Region Project. Two goals were developed for the ield season: irst, to monitor known sites surrounding Elmina Castle, and second, to complete a remote sensing survey ofshore of Cape Coast Castle and explore identiied anomalies. his paper will describe the continued examination of known sites of Elmina Castle and detail the previously undiscovered sites of Cape Coast Castle. Introduction he 2013 ield season of the Ghana Maritime Archaeology Project is the most recent research con- ducted under the auspices of the Central Region Project, which began under the direction of Dr. Christopher DeCorse of Syracuse University in the mid-1980s. DeCorse and several of his graduate students embarked on archaeological surveys and excavations in the coastal hinterland, as well as ofshore, to study the broader trade networks in the Ghana region (DeCorse 1987a; 1987b; 2001; DeCorse et al. 2000; 2009; Horlings 2011; Pietruszka 2011; Cook 2012). he Central Region Project has been very successful, with multiple seasons of ieldwork leading to the discovery of new sites and a greater understanding of the dynamic trade organization along the Gold Coast. Conducted with the permission of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB), four sea- sons of maritime archaeological ieldwork have been car- ried out in coastal Elmina to date. hese include initial survey work and the discovery of the Elmina Wreck site in 2003 (Cook and Spiers 2004; Cook 2012), mapping of the wreck site in 2005 (Cook 2012), additional target and wreck investigations in 2007 (DeCorse et al 2009; Horlings 2011; Pietruzska 2011), and additional survey and site investigations in 2009 (Horlings 2011; Horlings et al. 2011). he results of this ieldwork include the identiication of the Elmina Wreck as a mid-17th- century merchant vessel, possibly the Dutch West India Company vessel Groeningen (Cook 2012:253-268), the discovery of a second vessel, likely from the 18th cen- tury, during dredging operations behind Elmina Castle (Pietruszka 2011:171–190), and an expansion of mari- time survey in the region with the discovery of several anchors and other remnants of the maritime landscape (Horlings 2011:194–221). he latest ield season, di- rected by Dr. Rachel Horlings, took place in 2013. he 2013 ield season began in February with two major objectives. First, archaeologists planned to con- duct site assessments on previously identiied submerged resources in the near shore waters of Elmina Castle, none of which had been investigated since the 2009 ield season (Horlings 2011). he second objective was to expand investigations to include the waters surround- ing Cape Coast Castle, which lies approximately 12 km east of Elmina Castle. he investigation included marine remote sensing survey and subsequent diver investiga- tions. Research was conducted with the awareness that an investigation into these historic resources would not only expand, but also deeply enrich our understanding of past international relations and maritime activities in West Africa and the world. History of Elmina In 1482, the Portuguese established Elmina Castle, the irst European installation in Sub-Saharan Africa, then known as Castelo de São Jorge da Mina (DeCorse 2010:214–215; Hair 1994:31–38). Elmina Castle served as the Portuguese headquarters in West Africa for over 150 years. For most of this period, they maintained a monopoly on West African trade, importing vast quantities of cloths, blankets, and linen from Morocco, as well as copper, brassware, and iron from Europe, in exchange for gold and ornaments (Anquandah 1999:55; DeCorse 2010:214–219). Between 1596 and 1625, Dutch forces unsuccessfully attempted to capture Elmina Castle ive times by attack- ing the fortiication from the sea (Decorse 2001:23). In 1637, during their sixth endeavor, the Dutch ef- fectively utilized a new strategy by landing 800 men at