Archaeologists conducting the largest excavation ever undertaken in Benin City, Nigeria, have uncovered extraordinary evidence of the Kingdom of Benin's sophisticated urban planning and artistic mastery. The groundbreaking discoveries, made during construction of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), reveal previously unknown details about one of Africa's most powerful medieval civilizations. For the first time in 50 years, researchers have systematically excavated the historic royal palace complex, exposing cultural layers up to three meters deep that chronicle more than a millennium of human occupation.
The findings, just published in Antiquity, challenge conventional narratives about African civilization and demonstrate the remarkable sophistication of Benin's urban development, which rivaled European cities of the same era. Radiocarbon dating indicates occupation predating the kingdom's official founding in the 13th century, with evidence stretching back to the first millennium AD.
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Pre-construction archaeological work at Benin City, Nigeria. Excavation of two building plots for the Museum of West African Art, Benin City, Nigeria, provides new perspectives on the Kingdom of Benin. (Nixon et al./Antiquity Publications Ltd)
Uncovering the Palace's Hidden History
The MOWAA Archaeology Project represents an unprecedented collaboration between Nigerian and international institutions, including the British Museum, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Cambridge Archaeological Unit, and Wessex Archaeology. Between 2022 and 2024, teams excavated two major building plots where the MOWAA Institute and Rainforest Gallery now stand, documenting stratified cultural layers between 1.45 and 3 meters deep. The excavations employed cutting-edge techniques including ground-penetrating radar, systematic test pits, and large-scale excavation methods rarely used in West African urban archaeology.
The museum will open its doors fr the first time this week, November 11, 2025.
The research focused on previously unexplored sectors of the royal palace complex, specifically areas identified on 19th-century maps as the "wives' quarter" (erie) and zones containing shrines and ceremonial buildings. These locations had remained buried beneath colonial-era structures, including a former police barracks and hospital complex.
The Kingdom of Benin flourished between approximately 1200 and 1897 AD as one of West Africa's most influential city-states, renowned throughout Africa and beyond for its exceptional artistry and sophisticated governance.
Architectural Continuity Spanning Centuries
One of the most significant discoveries involves substantial building remains dating to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries - the height of Benin's power - which had never before been identified in archaeological excavations. These structures reveal remarkable continuity in urban planning, with later buildings constructed on the same axis as earlier ones, indicating deliberate preservation of the city's spatial organization across generations. Walls and floor surfaces documented at the Rainforest Gallery site may represent some of the earliest phases of palace construction, with radiocarbon dates still pending analysis.
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Rainforest Gallery excavations at the site in Benin, Nigeria. (Nixon et al./Antiquity Publications Ltd)
The eighteenth and nineteenth-century building phases show equally impressive architecture, with structures that maintained alignment with the ancient palace plan despite the passage of centuries. One building complex at the Institute site likely formed part of the restricted wives' quarter, an area protected by substantial earthen walls and timber gates that limited access. Archaeologists also discovered a massive crater, originally five meters deep, that may have served as the source of construction materials for the palace's extensive walls and buildings.
Evidence of Ritual and Artistic Production
The excavations uncovered compelling evidence of ritual activity within the palace complex. One extensive building complex features arranged upturned pottery vessels, caches of cowrie shells sealed inside pots, and carefully molded arrangements of chalk (nzu)—materials traditionally associated with sacred ceremonies in Edo culture. Researchers identified this location as likely being a major palace shrine, a finding that provides unprecedented archaeological confirmation of oral traditions about ritual spaces within the royal compound.
Another fascinating discovery involves a pit feature containing more than 100 glass bottles bearing 19th-century European trademarks including Africana, Van Hoytema, and Van Marken. These bottles were deposited alongside giant snail shells and quantities of iron, suggesting the pit may have functioned as a shrine incorporating imported trade goods into traditional religious practices. This blending of local and foreign materials demonstrates the kingdom's extensive trade networks and cultural adaptability.
Perhaps most significantly for understanding Benin's legendary artistic production, excavators identified workshop areas with clear evidence of metalworking activities. Multiple pits with scorched edges and charcoal-rich fills contained lead slag, likely dating to the nineteenth century. Crucible fragments and copper-alloy artifacts recovered from these contexts are now undergoing metallographic and elemental analysis to better understand the techniques used to create the famous Benin Bronzes. This research complements similar studies of materials from historic excavations, building a comprehensive picture of ancient West African metallurgical knowledge.
Selected material culture: a) metallurgy; b) other finds. (Nixon et al./Antiquity Publications Ltd)
Material Culture and Daily Life
The excavations yielded over 120,000 ceramic sherds, making this one of the largest ceramic assemblages ever recovered from a West African archaeological site. Found both in sealed pits and on occupation surfaces, these pottery fragments enable construction of a detailed ceramic sequence that sheds light on cultural development and facilitates wider regional studies. Alongside locally produced ceramics, archaeologists recovered imported glazed wares, smoking pipes, glass beads, bottles, and metal objects - evidence of Benin's participation in long-distance trade networks spanning continents.
Comprehensive botanical studies have identified varied plant species including oil palm, pearl millet, cotton, and foxtail millet. These findings, combined with analysis of faunal remains, pollen, and organic residues preserved in ceramic vessels, will provide the first complete picture of environmental change and dietary practices in historic Benin City. Such studies are particularly valuable given the limited previous research on ancient African foodways and land use.
The project also documented the European Cemetery, founded shortly after the 1897 British military destruction of the palace, which has now been mapped for the first time. Evidence of the 1897 burning and possible post-conquest landscape modifications continues to be analyzed. Additionally, excavators uncovered a building complex combining traditional mudbrick with mortar construction, potentially representing the early Governor's residence from the initial colonial period. A cache of late-colonial-era Nigerian police regalia was found near what became the post-colonial police headquarters, illustrating the site's complex layers of historical occupation.
Plan of structural complex (upper levels) excavated in Area 4 highlighting key areas of interest: 1 & 3) moulded chalk (nzu) arrangements; 2) arranged inverted pots; 4) oven feature and associated pottery; 5) cowries in complete pot; 6) inverted pot; 7) chalk spread; 8) pottery spread and bottles. (Nixon et al./Antiquity Publications Ltd)
Legacy and Future Research
The MOWAA Archaeology Project demonstrates the potential for archaeological investigation and mitigation ahead of major construction projects throughout Nigeria and West Africa. The project has prioritized capacity building, employing ten early-career Nigerian archaeologists full-time and providing 58 additional fieldwork positions. Training opportunities have included placements in London, Cambridge, and Cyprus, developing expertise in excavation, survey, material analysis, and conservation. MOWAA is establishing a permanent field team and laboratory at the new Institute, ensuring this legacy of archaeological research continues for future generations.
The discoveries illuminate not only the evolution of Benin's royal capital but also broader aspects of West African history, including urbanism, architecture, artisanal practice, ritual, trade, diet, and environment. As analysis of the recovered materials continues, researchers expect to answer fundamental questions about the development of complex societies in the West African forest zone during the second millennium AD. The project has established the most complete archaeological sequence yet for this historic center, providing a foundation for decades of future research into one of Africa's most important precolonial urban centers.
Top image: Cast brass plaque from Benin City, Nigeria, 16th century, showing the exceptional artistry that made the Kingdom of Benin famous throughout the ancient world. Source: British Museum/CC0
By Gary Manners
References
Folorunso, C., Nixon, S., Opadeji, S., Babalola, A., Le Quesne, C., Adamu, A., et al. 2025. MOWAA Archaeology Project: enhancing understanding of Benin City's historic urban development and heritage through pre-construction archaeology. Antiquity, 1–10. Available at: https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2025.10189
Radley, D. 2025. Archaeologists uncover Benin City’s ancient urban and artistic legacy. Archaeology News. Available at: https://archaeologymag.com/2025/11/benin-citys-ancient-urban-and-artistic-legacy/
