User:Ochiwar/Archeology of Igbo Ukwu

Archaeology of Igbo Ukwu is

Excavation history
While digging a well in his compound in Igbo Ukwu in 1939, a man called Isiah Anozie struck on some bronze objects. He dug them out, pilled them against the wall of his hut and not realizing their importance, asked friends and neighbors to help themselves to any pieces they wanted. Months later, Mr.J.O.Field, who was the colonial British district officer of the area got information about the bronzes and was able to purchase most of them from the owners and report the find. In the dry season of 1959-60, the site was excavated on the of the request of the Nigerian Federal Department of Antiquities. The excavation was led by Prof. Thurstan Shaw, assisted by Mallam Liman Ciroma. Information gleaned by the team on site prompted them to start excavation in two promising areas, the first being the compound of Isiah Anozie (called Igbo-Isiah), the second being in the compound of Richard Anozie (Igbo-Richard) about 30 meters to the south-west of the first site.

In 1964, Professor Shaw and his team again excavated in Igbo-Ukwu, this time for the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan. The team dug in an area east of the previous finds, in the compound of Jonah Anozie and the site was named Igbo-Jonah.

Interpretation of excavation data
After several interim reports, Professor Shaw published his conclusive report on the archaeological excavations in 1970. Professor Shaw`s publication was noted as being one of the most comprehensive monographs in African archaeology at the time, but was criticized for the lavishness of its production which had largely prevented anyone but libraries and reviewers from possessing it. In this detailed publication, Professor Shaw upholds his initial thesis that the three sites comprise principally a repository for the keeping of sacred vessels and regalia (Igbo Isiah), the burial-place of an important dignitary (Igbo Richard), and a disposal pit, dug apparently to receive a quantity of pottery and bronze objects of a ritual or ceremonial nature (Igbo Jonah).

Dating
The Radiocarbon dating technique was employed to determine the age of the Igbo-Ukwu site and artifacts. Of six samples sent to the laboratory for testing, one (Igbo Isiah) was destroyed when the apparatus went wrong and consequently there are no dates from this site. Of the remaining five samples, only one (sample I-2008) from the burial chamber (Igbo Richard), came from one of the actual artifacts themselves (wood from a stool) and therefore qualified for A1 status. The remaining four samples from the Igbo Jonah site were all composite charcoal samples, presumed to date the source deposits of artifacts, and thus qualified for A2 status.

For sample I-2008 (Igbo Richard) a calendar range of 880-1160 AD was determined. Of the other four samples from Igbo Jonah, sample HV1514 was dated at 760-1060 AD, sample HV1515 was dated 730-1000 AD, sample I 1784 was dated 690-1020 AD and sample HV1516 was dated 1350-1430 AD. The much later date determined for sample HV1516 as compared to all other samples is explained by Professor Shaw as most probably being as a result of contamination of the sample, going into detail to show in what ways this contamination may have come about.

The initial reaction of the academic community to the published dates was skeptical, though they have now found general acceptance. The implications of the dating where criticised by some authors and acceptance was slow because the dates did not fit into conventional knowledge at that time. As P.S. Garlake explains "The weight of the evidence places it in the ninth century A.D. Certainly there is no concrete support for alternative interpretations. This means that an extremely sophisticated metal technology, an abundance of imported goods and extravagant accumulations of wealth in the hands of individuals, existed deep in the forest when, in the savanna, mercantile states were still very young. This is very different from the conventional view of the early historical developments of West Africa."

Beads
More than 165,000 beads were excavated in Igbo-Ukwu, the majority being monochrome glass beads with yellow, grayish blue, dark blue, dark green, peacock blue, and reddish brown colors predominating. Longitudinally striped beads of various colors and multicolored eye beads were also found. Beads made of stone were also recovered including 15,000 short carnelian cylinders and barrels and lesser quantities of long barrels and faceted examples, as well as polished and dull quartz short-barrel, standard cylinder, and bi-cone beads. The beads have established an international commercial element existing between Igbo-Ukwu and the north, up to Egypt, with excavations in Gao and Fustat  revealing beads with marked parallels to the Igbo-Ukwu beads roughly dated to the same period. As a result of these finds it has been established that most of the glass beads recovered in Igbo-Ukwu were manufactured in Old Cairo, notably in the workshops of Fustat. The glass beads, and some of the stone ones, appear to have been the only categories of material obtained by external long-distance trade recovered in Igbo-Ukwu.