Begho, also known historically as Nsoko or Insoco, was a city located in the Bono state of Ghana, located just south of its successor community, Hani. Begho was established as a trading entrepôt and cosmopolitan centre linking merchants from across West Africa and North Africa. Operating from the northern forest savanna transition zone, just like Bono Manso, it seized new economic opportunities and cross-cultural interactions through expansion as a commercial hub. Before the Europeans arrival in 1471, Begho was initially contacted by Muslim merchants who spoke Mande from the Mali empire. Outside the town limits, these merchants frequently founded permanent outlying settlements.

By the 17th centuries, the Europeans who fostered key interests in gold and silver trading, harboured displeasures towards the Juula with an attempt to put them out of trade. Begho’s progress was attributed to the proximity of Akan goldfields from which gold reached Djene and Timbuktu as well as other areas.

Begho was founded in the 11th century, though radiocarbon dates from the Nyarko quarter suggest initial occupation dating to the earlier centuries. Archaeological evidence suggests that Nyarko predates the other residential districts and was part of a broader settlement inhabited by "Akan-speaking Brong peoples, presumed to be the ancestors of Brong (Bono) who live in the area today." By the 15th century, Begho had grown into a prominent urban center inhabited by Jula traders of Soninke Wangara descent, who established peripheral settlements and integrated into the region’s commercial networks.

The name Begho likely derives from "Biru," meaning "market," the original Soninke name for Walata. It was strategically located along the savanna–forest ecotone, making it a key node in trans-Saharan trade, particularly for gold, kola, and slaves. Situated on the northern forest fringe, it was part of early Akan settlement patterns and likely linked to craft and trade networks extending toward the Middle Niger.

Begho played an early role in trade with Mande-speaking merchants from Mali and established itself as one of the largest early Akan markets. By the 16th to 18th centuries, it was a thriving multiethnic commercial town with links to distant Islamic trade routes. It was particularly noted for its brass and textile goods.

Oral traditions state that Begho was destroyed by the Ashanti Empire in the mid-18th century, triggering the dispersal of its population. Communities such as Kong and Bondoukou trace their origins to refugees from Begho. The city, however, persisted in a reduced form into the early 19th century. Even after its decline, Begho’s cultural influence remained strong in the region, especially in religious practices and material traditions such as pottery.

Excavations were carried out by the University of Ghana from 1970 to 1979, and a joint excavation was carried out by UCLA and the University of Ghana in 1979. There was never an extensive surface survey, only specific sites were excavated.

The excavations identified at least 5 separate quarters throughout the city and a total of 1000 to 1500 house mounds, leading to an estimate of a largest population of about 7,000–10,000 people. The quarters consisted of one for the local Brong population, the Nyarko quarter, the Kramo quarter, the Dwinfor quarter, and the market quarter. The Nyarko quarter is believed to have hosted Brong, while the Kramo quarter is believed to have hosted Mande-speaking Muslims. The Dwinfuor quarter showed evidence of metallurgy. Two other quarters were identified, however they were not excavated.