The most extensive excavation of Benin City to date has uncovered new levels of a palace complex. The former capital of the Kingdom of Benin served as a major imperial center, yet its structures have remained buried and understudied since the British military looted and destroyed the area in 1897.
Rediscovered structural remains, pottery, and glass vessels illuminate daily life and craft practices in the centuries preceding colonial rule. The dig established a complete archaeological sequence from before the kingdom’s founding to after its ruin. As the repatriation of Benin bronzes remains at the forefront of art-world conversations, archaeologists also unearthed artifacts related to metalworking activities.
This evidence of centuries-old creativity is available thanks to the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), which opens to the public on November 11. The institution collaborated with the British Museum, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), and other partners to conduct the excavation from 2022–24. Uncovered artifacts will become part of the MOWAA’s collection as researchers continue to piece together details of pre-colonial life in Benin City. This is the first site excavation in 50 years, and its findings both illuminate the region’s past and lay the groundwork for its cultural future.
The excavation in progress at Benin City. Photo: Caleb Folorunso et al. MOWAA Archaeology Project: enhancing understanding of Benin City’s historic urban development and heritage through pre-construction archaeology. Antiquity.
In their study, published on October 30 in Antiquity, archaeologists revealed their discovery of a workshop “where pits with scorched edges and charcoal-rich fills contained lead slag, likely 19th century.” These details suggest the aftereffects and byproducts of metalworking.
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Other unearthed artifacts include crucible fragments, copper-alloy items, “glazed wares, smoking pipes, beads, glass bottles and metal objects,” plus more than 120,000 ceramic shards. Botanical studies, along with investigations of animal remains and “pollen and organic residue” on the ceramics will give researchers “the first comprehensive picture of environment change and dietary and economic practices in Benin.”
Selected material culture: a) metallurgy; b) other finds (figure by authors). Photo: Caleb Folorunso et al. MOWAA Archaeology Project: enhancing understanding of Benin City’s historic urban development and heritage through pre-construction archaeology. Antiquity.
Caleb Folorunso, a Professor of Archaeology and a research lead on the project, also highlighted the excavation’s larger goals. MOWAA, he said, aims to create “a center of excellence for heritage and its management… a place where people can come and interact, particularly from West African countries.” It will provide Nigeria with a crucial base for local research, which will “attract people from around Africa” and allow them to “immediately conduct research, instead of looking abroad for sample analysis.”
MOWAA will open with the exhibition “Nigeria Imaginary: Homecoming,” curated by Aindrea Emelife, which debuted at the 2024 Venice Biennale. The show features 10 intergenerational artists working across disparate media. The atrium of the David Adjaye-designed building will feature objects from a historical collection hailing from over three millennia. According to the museum, the featured clay vessels, archaeological artifacts, and works of bronze, wood, and other materials will reflect “both the everyday and the ceremonial, the intimate and the monumental.”
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