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 capital.
Embark on an adventure with Idia, a young dreamer who transforms from a warrior's daughter into the legendary Queen of the Benin Kingdom, inspiring limitless dreams in every young heart. ------ Idia of the Benin Kingdom introduces young readers to the story of Queen Idia of the ancient Kingdom of Benin. Discover the jo
I don't know about you, but I always find it fascinating to learn about ancient civilizations. One of my all-time favourite kingdoms is the ancient kingdom of Benin. It was one of the most powerful and wealthy early medieval African empires. Located in present-day Nigeria, the ancient Benin Kingdom flourished from the
With its mathematical layout and earthworks longer than the Great Wall of China, Benin City was one of the best planned cities in the world when London was a place of ‘thievery and murder’. So why is nothing left?
The Humboldt Forum, a new exhibition venue in Berlin, has raised questions about museum restitution and the importance of provenance.
The capital of Africa’s Benin Empire astonished Europeans with its beauty, so why is there nothing left?
Being a constitutional democracy, Nigeria elects its representatives, however, the hundreds of ethnic communities scattered across the country still acknowledge their own traditional rulers. It is widely accepted that out of these traditional leaders, the monarch of the Bini people of Benin is one of those highly respected. The Benin kingdom was a pre-colonial empire...
Almost all the news out of Africa seems to be disaster reporting of one sort or another. We, who are not Africans, tend to see the place as a continent full of calamities. Those of us of the Episcopalian and Anglican persuasion see Nigeria in terms of sometimes violent tribal and sectarian tensions, Western corporate exploitation, corruption, email fraud schemes, and lingering post colonial resentments. Perhaps it is time to take a different look at Nigeria, a very ancient country with an old and rich culture that had a great impact on cultures in the New World. Here is just a small sampling. Nok Culture circa 300 - 100 BC One of the earliest known cultures of Nigeria is the Nok culture, named by archaeologists after a town near the excavation site. Little survives of this culture beyond terracotta figures like those illustrated below found in river flood deposits. Scholars speculate that they could be based on sculptures in more perishable wood. Very little is known about this culture. There are other cultures from the same region and time period that are just beginning to become known to archaeologists and scholars. But the political and military situation in so much of west Africa makes field work difficult to impossible. The Kingdom of Ife circa 1000 - 1500 The city of Ife plays a very large role in Yoruba mythology. The world began in Ife, and the gods taught humankind the civilizing arts and crafts there. In 1938, archaeologists digging near the compound of the Oni (king) of Ife found a series of brass and terra cotta heads of astonishing naturalism and idealized form. These are assumed by most scholars to be portraits of rulers, though very idealized. They are all shown in the prime of life with an aura of calm detached self-possession. The lines on some of them may portray tatoos or scarification. Ife portraits are still surfacing. This terracotta head was found at a site called Obalara in 1971. The Kingdom of Benin, 1440 - 1897 The city of Benin was the center of a great empire built on trade. By the 15th century, Benin emerged as preeminent among all the Yoruba city states. They were very expert metalsmiths in brass, bronze, and iron. Most of the art, especially in metals and in ivory, was reserved for the exclusive use of the Oba (king) of Benin, and was made by artists in his direct employ. The subjects are beautifully stylized representations of the king and his court and soldiers. What mattered was not the individuals, but their sacred office. Works of art from Benin are the most famous and celebrated to come out of Nigeria. The British military destroyed Benin in a punitive expedition in 1897, scattering the art of its royal court to museums around the world. Yoruba Culture. A large majority of the Africans who were forcibly exiled to the Americas as slaves were Yoruba, and the rich and complex Yoruba culture still shapes much of life in the New World. Practices like Vodoun (Vodoo) and Santeria come out of the old Yoruba religion. Below is a pair of doors carved by a celebrated sculptor by the name of Olowe in 1910 for the palace of a Yoruba king. It records the visit of British Travelling Commissioner for Ondo province, Captain Ambrose visiting the Ogoga (king) of the city of Ikere in 1897 shortly after the punitive expedition against Benin. The King wears the tall crown on the left and the Captain is borne in a litter on the right. I sometimes wonder if even the memory of traditional African cultures will survive. Frequently, the demand of foreign collectors leads to widespread looting and destruction of African heritage sites, especially of the Dogon and Bamana in Mali. The black market in art and antiquities loves poverty and political instability. That's why it's flooded with artifacts from Central America, Iraq, and Africa. Other times, foreign demand is all that's supporting the continuation of some African art and craft traditions. Colonialism and slavery were catastrophes for native African cultures, but they somehow survived, even if in fragmentary form. I'm not so sure they will survive the fierce competition for souls on the continent between the world's 2 great imperial religions, Christianity and Islam. Already, so much of native African religion and culture has been ground to powder between those 2 millstones.
What does art tell us about the kingdom of Benin? Learn about animals in Benin art and how brass statues were made in this BBC Bitesize year 5/6 KS2 History guide.
AMAZING BENIN KINGDOM EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY PACK FOR KIDS Learn all about the amazing Benin Kingdom with this fun digital activity pack! Includes 8 pages - Amazing Benin Kingdom Introduction Page - The Oba of Benin Activity Page - Traditional outfits of Benin Activity Page - Beautiful Benin Bronzes Activity Page - Okuku Activity Page - Queen Idia Activity Page - Amazing Benin Kingdom Colouring Page - Amazing Benin Kingdom Word Search Instant download sent to your email after purchase Etsy will send you an email to your Etsy email address with the download link. This will include a digital pdf file that will allow you to print as many as you need . No physical items will be mailed to you For personal use only! It may not be redistributed or SOLD! You can print from home or from a print shop like Staples. The pdf file is for printing on A4 paper. You will need the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the file. This is a free program available at get.adobe.com/reader.
This is a true and false video guide for the documentary, "Lost Kingdoms of Africa." It is for the episode on West Africa and it can be found on YouTube and other sites. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN90tod26H0) I would check the link before you purchase or see if you can find it elsewhere. This episode discusses Mali and Mansa Musa, Benin and its artwork, Djenne, and other areas of West Africa. The guide has 12 true and false questions and there is an answer key. Follow Learning the Social Sciences on TpT Follow on Pinterest Follow on Facebook
Check out this fun free Kingdom of Benin Word Search, free for use at home or in schoolThis is a printable Kingdom of Benin Word...
With its mathematical layout and earthworks longer than the Great Wall of China, Benin City was one of the best planned cities in the world when London was a place of ‘thievery and murder’. So why is nothing left?
What was life like in Benin? Learn about everyday life in the ancient kingdom of Benin, which existed in Africa between 900 and 1897, in this KS2 History guide.
Product format: Digital eUnit of Study A comprehensive Unit of study following Idia of Benin Kingdom children's picture book. This no-prep Book Study has 51 pages of engaging Common Core-aligned activities/printables designed to delve deeper into Idia of the Benin Kingdom. Idia of the Benin Kingdom is an empowering ch
Urban planning schools in the west provide little insight about urban planning practices throughout the continent of Africa. We learn about medieval Italian and Greek cities, with little mention about the City of Benin, the Great Zimbabwe, Timbuktu in Mali, The Kingdom of Kush, and many others.
Benin Bronze - beneath the verandah of the Oba's Palace www.roh.org.uk
A 16th century Benin mask, whose image was famously used as the symbol of FESTAC ’77 (World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture) is about to be auctioned off at Sotheby’s in …
Dahomey images and designs. Abomey and the Kingdom of Dahomey, now Benin. Amazons or female warriors. The Attoh ritual for human sacrifice.
A cast brass manilla from Nigeria, used as a currency in the kingdom of Benin (13th-19th century CE) and other West African states. Width: 6 cms. (British Museum, London)
Chief Uwadiae Jacob Egharevba (1893-1980) was a pioneering scholar who made a vital early contribution to understanding of the history and art of Benin.
With its mathematical layout and earthworks longer than the Great Wall of China, Benin City was one of the best planned cities in the world when London was a place of ‘thievery and murder’. So why is nothing left?
