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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove in Nigeria. A sacred forest along the banks of the Osun River just outside the city of Osogbo in Osun State. Source:	 Oloyedejuwonlo/CC BY-SA 4.0

Osun Sacred Grove: Where A West African Spiritual Tradition Flourishes

The Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, located on the outskirts of Osogbo in southwestern Nigeria, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its cultural and spiritual significance. This sacred forest,...
Benin Bronze plaque. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art / Public Domain.

Western Reactions to the Controversial Benin Bronzes (Video)

In the closing years of the 19th century, an extraordinary exhibit in London showcased the art of a culture considered foreign and "savage" by the prevailing Western mindset. This exhibit consisted...
Terracotta statues made by the Nok. (Public Domain)

The Highly Advanced and Mysterious Ancient Civilization of the Nok

The remarkable civilization of the Nok was first discovered in 1928 when a wealth of unique terracotta artifacts was unearthed by tin miners in the southern part of Kaduna state in central Nigeria...
Idanre Hills, Nigeria. Source: Fela Sanu / Adobe Stock

The Stunning Landscape and 9 Wonders of Idanre Hill

Idanre Hill, also known as Oke Idanre, is a remote town located in the southwestern Nigerian Ondo State. Though the area boasts several cultural landmarks, it is most famous for its landscape atop an...

The Walls of Benin: Four Times Longer Than The Great Wall of China!

The Kingdom of Benin was an important African kingdom that flourished between the 13th and 19th centuries AD. Benin was located in the southwestern part of modern-day Nigeria, with Benin City as its...
A display of the Benin Bronzes in the British Museum.

The Benin Bronzes: A Tragic Story of Slavery and Imperialism Cast in Brass

The Benin Bronzes is the name given to a group of artifacts produced by the Benin Empire, which occupied the area which is today Nigeria. The Benin Bronzes consist of several thousand commemorative...
Nok Culture Pottery Reveals Honey Hunting Happened 3,500 Years Ago

Nok Culture Pottery Reveals Honey Hunting Happened 3,500 Years Ago

Honey hunting is a practice of gathering honey from domesticated or wild bee colonies and hives. It is a practice for which evidence has been found in ancient history and it is still practiced by...
Statue was reportedly illegally smuggled to Mexico.  Source: INAH

Experts Claim Artifact Ceremonially Returned to Nigeria is Fake

A bronze sculpture seized at a Mexican airport last week, and hastily returned to Nigeria, is now claimed to be fake. Last week the BBC reported on a supposedly ancient artifact believed to have been...
Oshun, African Goddess of Love

Oshun: African Goddess of Love and Sweet Waters

Across many ancient civilizations throughout the world, love was placed under the domain of a certain deity, usually, but not in all cases, a goddess. In the Classical world, for instance, there were...
Glass beads of all colors found in the ancient city of Ile-Ife.

1000-year-old Glass Beads Provide First Evidence of Glassmaking Development in Sub-Saharan West Africa

A newly found treasure trove of more than 10,000 colorful glass beads and evidence of glassmaking tools, makes scientists think that an ancient city in southwestern Nigeria was one of the first...
Figure of an Ife King

The Rulers of Ife: The Traditional and Adaptive Roles of the Ooni

Ife is an ancient city of the Yoruba located in the south-western part of modern day Nigeria. Based on the archaeological evidence, the urbanization of the site may be dated back to around 500 AD...