MOWAA: Breaking ground

Adebayo Folorunso: MOWAA stands for 'Museum of West African Art'. There will be a number of different buildings for research, exhibition, arts conservation and cultural exchanges. Its very first centre, MOWAA Institute, will provide facilities for archaeological research, including archaeological science laboratories. At the moment, we are dealing mainly with pre-construction archaeology and research. We are working on part of the grounds of the palace that was destroyed by the British military in 1897 and trying to understand the pre-1897 landscape.

Segun Opadeji: Pre-construction archaeology is set within the context of development. We know that we cannot arrest development: roads must be built, houses must be built. But as we are developing and constructing, we must also make sure that cultural heritage is not destroyed. We cannot make progress without understanding the past; you must protect your past so that the two can be linked together. That is pre-construction archaeology. As we are constructing and preparing for future buildings across MOWAA's campus, we are also making sure that we correctly document our past at the same time.

Abidemi (Tunde) Babalola: We are working at the site of the 1897 British expedition, but archaeological work has been carried out within the same proximity to where we are working now since the 1950s.

The South African archaeologist AJ Goodwin excavated there in the mid-1950s while Nigerian Adamu Liman Ciroma also excavated there around the late 1950s. From 1961–1964 Graham Connah also excavated ahead of the construction of the National Museum of Benin. Our work is the first major large-scale excavation in the last 50 years in Benin, and it's also redefining the modalities of pre-construction archaeology in Nigeria.

We are excavating close to Connah's excavations but interestingly what we are discovering is different to what he got, even though they are within the same area. It shows that different activities were carried out within the vast landscape of the historic palace.

Sam Nixon: In terms of MOWAA developing this new heritage facility, there are important and obviously very sensitive archaeological remains, including those relating to the destruction of Benin City by the British military in the late 19th century. There was recognition of the need to do pre-construction archaeology before building the museum, to properly record and research the important remains on the site.

The British Museum offered to partner on an archaeology project in advance of the development of MOWAA. Together with MOWAA, we looked for financing of the project and an anonymous donor very generously provided funding for this project, alongside other projects at the British Museum, as part of the African Histories and Heritage Programme. We're doing this pre-construction research work, but there are a lot of other components, including support for the development of a team of young archaeologists.

We're the representatives of the Archaeology Project, which sits within the wider context of discussions around Benin history and is part of a bigger MOWAA initiative that focuses on revitalising Benin's heritage. It's hopefully going to be a really important component of those wider discussions.

Segun Opadeji: So far this project has done so well in that regard. We have the issue of modern equipment in the universities [in Nigeria], but now with MOWAA's upgraded facility and support from the British Museum, we're improving this. These young archaeologists, who are lucky to be part of it, have been exposed to the use of new digital equipment, which has added to their skills and knowledge.

Part of the training is to bring them to the Museum here in London, not only to learn to use the equipment to collect data but also to be able to interpret it.

We have good new equipment in the MOWAA science laboratories that can be used to do a lot of analysis. MOWAA has been able to attract funding and technical support from the Gerda Henkel Foundation and Oxford University to achieve this, further complementing our work with the British Museum. Even for me as one of the leaders of the team, I find it very impressive. It has opened our knowledge to what is available in other places, which will make it easier for us when we go back to discuss what equipment will be required at MOWAA.

Sam Nixon: This is a partnership between MOWAA, the British Museum, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments in Nigeria, and also with the British Museum's delivery partners in the UK, Cambridge Archaeological Unit and Wessex Archaeology.

Abidemi (Tunde) Babalola: We are also working with academic staff from Nigerian universities. It's a way to start to build capacity in terms of research: working with academic institutions; incorporating early career staff in the universities. Academic staff also come so they can 'train the trainer'. Most of the students that come are graduates, and when they leave MOWAA they move on with their lives. But when the academic staff come, they go back to their institutions, and they transfer that knowledge. We're talking about sustainability.

Sam Nixon: There is obviously a reciprocal aspect to this. British archaeologists go to Nigeria, and Nigerian archaeologists come to the UK. There are a lot of people involved in the team. In a season there are 30–40 people, and this includes representatives and archaeologists from the British Museum, the Cambridge Archaeological Unit and Wessex Archaeology, all going to take part in a field season. There's learning going on both ways.

Abidemi (Tunde) Babalola: As is the case with most archaeological digs, we employ people living in Benin City as field assistants. One of the aspects that fascinates me, the couple of times I've been out there in the field, is the zeal you see in the field assistants, because of the way they are incorporated, the way they are treated. It encourages them to want to learn. Some of them only have a primary school-level education, and now they understand what 'stratigraphy' is; they understand how to handle the trowel; they can help you to take some measurements; and some of them are even considering going to university to study archaeology.

When you talk about training, it's not only just like training those who are already in archaeology, but also offering opportunities to those who already work in the construction industry within the city itself. We are opening up archaeology to a more diverse range of people, building on their pre-existing know-how, regardless of their formal experience or education.

Segun Opadeji: MOWAA is trying to build a network – not just of archaeologists, but also of supporting staff – so that if you have a dig at MOWAA or in Ibadan or somewhere else, you already have a pool of people who can deliver in line with pre-construction methods. You don't have to start training afresh. That is what MOWAA is trying to do. 

Segun Opadeji: It's interesting. You have people from different backgrounds. Those who are less formally educated and those who have multiple degrees. People from different cultures. Sometimes we have about 40 people at the same time in the same place working side by side. It's interesting to learn about other cultures. Sometimes you have people stepping on each other, but that is normal where you have people of different orientations and cultures moving together at the same time. For me, personally, I've enjoyed it. It's fascinating, not just as archaeologists, but from the perspective of learning about other people.

Abidemi (Tunde) Babalola: I have been part of two seasons, October 2023 and April 2024, and I'm looking forward to being part of the last one. What I've seen on the ground is cooperation. There is a lot of diversity. I'm Yoruba and I talk to the field assistants from the northern part of Nigeria who speak Hausa. They try to teach me some of their languages, you know? Generally, the atmosphere is relaxed, very engaging and cooperative.

Adebayo Folorunso: They painted a good scenario, but there have also been 'conflicts' and we don't shy away from that reality. The issue is how you deal with things maturely. That's a really strong point of the project. I expect that with anything academic we are not supposed to always agree. You hold your opinion, I hold mine. There's mutual respect, I think that's the most important thing.

Abidemi (Tunde) Babalola: Yeah, obviously we don't have physical conflict but ideological differences. Disagreements of perspective. Most of the British archaeologists have years – decades – of experience in development archaeology but for most of them it is their first time excavating in a rainforest zone. The experience for them is different and what they bring to the dig is also different. It was a little complex initially because when they see something, they have a name for it in British archaeology, but that's not what we call it in Nigeria, for example.

Sam Nixon: It's a very complex business, archaeology, in terms of all the dynamics. It can be a lot of pressure, long working days. You put all these people together – some of them will know each other, some don't. People don't get on perfectly all the time! But the point is you're working towards a common aim, and everybody adapts and it's quite an experience.

Abidemi (Tunde) Babalola: It's a very interesting landscape. Of course, we know that the 1897 [British military expedition] was well documented. But the question is: for how long had that space been occupied before the destruction of 1897? And then after 1897, what happened on the site? We have some historical accounts of what happened – how colonial officers razed the place, cleared it up, built colonial structures, occupied the space for some time, built military barracks and later built a hospital. Some of the materials we are seeing now cut across from the pre-15th century all the way to 20th century, when the hospital was constructed. So we see diverse materials that point at everyday life, like ceramics, but also imported glazed ceramics with transfer print, possibly of Portuguese origin, because historically we know that Benin had contact with the Portuguese as far back as 1485, even before Columbus 'discovered' America.  

We also find a lot of locally made objects, such as ceramics and copper alloy objects. Of course, bronze casting is part of what Benin is known for, and we still see evidence of metal-working, like lead waste. We also have glass beads and animal bones. And we find a lot of military objects such as helmets and unspent bullets, both British and Nigerian. So it shows that the space was militarised at some point, not only by the British, but also by Nigerians.

Adebayo Folorunso: For now, we have some dates that suggest the 15th century for the spot where we have dug.

Sam Nixon: The excavations are going down to a depth of 2–3 metres and we're finding settlement evidence and building remains. You've got all the aspects of daily life going back likely hundreds of years. But we're in the process of doing radiocarbon dating to understand the chronology and we're not finished yet. We're all conscious of the things we might find in the coming period.

I think it's useful to give a sense of where we're [digging], because we've referred to digging in the rainforest zone, but we're also in the centre of the city. There's a supermarket across the road. In the first instance, you're going through 20th-century car park remains with a mechanical excavator. It's not all with a trowel.

Segun Opadeji: At the end of this, we will have recorded the history of that area as far back as we can go in time. We will better understand the relationship between the palace and the other parts of the city. What happened before the invasion and what happened after the invasion. We are hoping that we will be able to write a monograph and also give something back to the people – not technical reports, but something for the community themselves. If they give us their area to study, it will only be fair to give them back something about their history in terms that are easily understood. In most cases, archaeologists are too technical in what we write, but in this case, we want families and children to understand more about the city's history and of themselves.

From the first season students and community leaders have been coming to the dig and learning about what we are doing, with MOWAA's outreach team co-hosting Discovery Days with our researchers. For many of them, this is their very first time in a live dig site. We've received hundreds of visitors over the last two years. We give them time to come and ask questions, and we try as much as possible to answer. And we also ask them questions – they can influence our interpretation. They have specific knowledge that archaeologists need to be able to give an accurate interpretation. That has been a big aspect of this project. We listen to them, they listen to us. We learn from them, and they learn from us.

Sam Nixon: As an archaeologist, you're always thinking, how can this contribute to the research? What can we find that will help us contribute to the research of Benin City and its history more widely?

Then there's the bigger picture in terms of thinking about MOWAA as an institution. This project is really important in helping to contribute to the wider momentum around that. The archaeological project is breaking ground for the building, and it's quite unusual to see, directly from your work, a new building and institution developing. So from our perspective, in the context of all the discussions and dialogues around Benin history, collections and heritage, this is a really important new initiative. It's very important for us to be partnering to support this and we're looking forward to ongoing collaboration.

Adebayo Folorunso: I think for MOWAA, the outcome has been part of the objective of the project from the beginning, and that is creating a centre of excellence for heritage and its management. It will be a place where people can come and interact, particularly from West African countries. The facilities we expect to have in place will attract people from around Africa, instead of them looking to go to Europe to see great works of art from across the continent. It will also help people to immediately conduct research, instead of looking abroad for sample [analysis]. If that can be achieved, I would really be happy. What we could do with these young people coming up from Benin Republic, Ghana, Sierra Leone if they could look towards Benin City instead of London and Paris... Then you also find a way of uniting Africa.

Segun Opadeji: I'm hoping that by the end of the project we will have been able to build a strong team of highly skilled young field archaeologists, who can work together in their different specialisations. It's something that we don't yet have. We have people working separately in their universities, but not in a building where you have the field archaeologists, environmental archaeologists, everybody working on the same project at the same time. If at the end of the project we had this big team, that would make me happy.

Abidemi (Tunde) Babalola: What else can I say? My role is a little bit delicate... When I'm there on the ground, most of the field archaeologists are people who I know. They've worked with me on other personal projects, like my PhD [research] for example. I'm there as a representative of the BM, but they don't necessarily all see me as a BM person. OK, where should I go? It's a very delicate balance for me. However, I've enjoyed it. I think one of the things I so much enjoy is the cooperation.

I look at the project in the line of the future of archaeology in Nigeria. The project stands the chance to contribute significantly to archaeology of Nigeria. Now, students are graduating and saying, 'Oh, I wish I could work at MOWAA'. The project and MOWAA as an organisation have increased the zeal, in my view, among undergraduate students to remain in archaeology and heritage studies in Nigeria. So, I think it gives hope. It gives assurance to the students. That is what I hope to continue to see, in the next five, ten years.

Of course, there's always the risk especially in Nigeria that if you train people, they will leave for the next step in their career. However, in the next five to ten years MOWAA will be so proud of the people who have gone through MOWAA. Just imagine MOWAA writing something in the next ten years and each younger member of the team has finished their PhD, written one or two books, and MOWAA features in their story. That's how I look at it. We are shaping the new face of African archaeology with boundless benefits in the long run.

Project partners:  

MOWAA, British Museum, National Commission for Museums and Monuments

Delivery partners: 

Cambridge Archaeological Unit, Wessex Archaeology