BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Sabre//Sabre VObject 4.6.1//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/Zurich X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/Zurich TZURL:http://tzurl.org/zoneinfo/Europe/Zurich BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:CEST DTSTART:19810329T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=-1SU END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:CET DTSTART:19961027T030000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=10;BYDAY=-1SU END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT UID:news5293@zasb.unibas.ch DTSTAMP;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20260907T101040 DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20261023T161500 SUMMARY:Stephanie Zehnle (University of Passau): Strata of Dissonance: Mini ng\, Metallurgy and Metalware in West African History DESCRIPTION:This lecture investigates the deep and conflict-laden history o f West African resource extraction\, metallurgy\, and material culture. Br idging the pre-colonial and colonial periods\, it examines how the product ion and appropriation of metalware – ranging from weapons to bells – c hallenged pre-existing power structures\, spiritual practices\, and ecolog ical orders. Tracing the shift from decentralized governance to centralize d early modern kingdoms and subsequent colonial rule\, this presentation e xplores how royal courts\, blacksmith guilds\, and secret societies negoti ated access to forests\, mineral resources\, and sonic spaces. When Christ ian missions and colonial authorities monopolized loud\, metallic bells an d industrial mining operations\, they collided with established West Afric an orders where metalworking and sacred environments were deeply intertwin ed. Drawing on studies from Ghana and Nigeria\, the lecture demonstrates h ow the resources required for smelting\, the metal objects and soundscapes served as vital media for state-building\, giving rise to fragile ecologi cal compromises and historical conflicts over forest\, metal and noise.\\r \\nStephanie Zehnle is Professor of Environmental and Technology History a t the Faculty of Humanities and Cultural Studies\, University of Passau. H er research in the field of global and (post)colonial environmental and te chnological history bears on  the interrelations between humans\, environ ments\, animals and pathogens. Her focus in the field of colonial history is on human–wildlife interactions\, agricultural colonialism and its con sequences\, and the emergence of zoonotic diseases resulting from changes in ecological systems. Zehnle's research is interdisciplinary and linked t o the environmental humanities as well as the natural and life sciences. X-ALT-DESC:

This lecture investigates the deep and conflict-laden history of West African resource extraction\, metallurgy\, and material culture. Bridging the pre-colonial and colonial periods\, it examines how the produ ction and appropriation of metalware – ranging from weapons to bells – challenged pre-existing power structures\, spiritual practices\, and ecol ogical orders. Tracing the shift from decentralized governance to centrali zed early modern kingdoms and subsequent colonial rule\, this presentation explores how royal courts\, blacksmith guilds\, and secret societies nego tiated access to forests\, mineral resources\, and sonic spaces. When Chri stian missions and colonial authorities monopolized loud\, metallic bells and industrial mining operations\, they collided with established West Afr ican orders where metalworking and sacred environments were deeply intertw ined. Drawing on studies from Ghana and Nigeria\, the lecture demonstrates how the resources required for smelting\, the metal objects and soundscap es served as vital media for state-building\, giving rise to fragile ecolo gical compromises and historical conflicts over forest\, metal and noise.< /p>\n

Stephanie Zehnle is Professor of Environmental an d Technology History at the Faculty of Humanities and Cultural Studies\, U niversity of Passau. Her research in the field of global and (post)colonia l environmental and technological history bears on  \;the interrelatio ns between humans\, environments\, animals and pathogens. Her focus in the field of colonial history is on human–wildlife interactions\, agricultu ral colonialism and its consequences\, and the emergence of zoonotic disea ses resulting from changes in ecological systems. Zehnle's research is int erdisciplinary and linked to the environmental humanities as well as the n atural and life sciences.

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