Cambridge Monographs in African Archaeology 51 The Kintampo Complex is the first settled, sub-Sahelian complex in West Africa, and central to our understanding of West African prehistory. Kintampo appeared in Ghana around 4000 years ago, just after the onset of the last arid phase in the Sahara. This volume is based on research undertaken on the Gambaga Escarpment in Northern Ghana and expands knowledge in three ways: it provides the first description of the area; it places the northern manifestation of Kintampo within the context of what is known about the Kintampo complex; it explores the question of a framing base for Kintampo subsistence and embeds it in the current discussions on the origins of agriculture.