http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/108 2026-04-04T18:56:23Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1361 SPATIO-TEMPORAL INFERENCES FROM THE STUDY OF SOAPSTONE FIGURINES IN ESIE, KWARA STATE NIGERIA ADEKOLA, Kolawole Olugbenga Previous studies of Esie soapstone figurines located in Esie, Kwara State have been on origin, and artistic styles of the artefacts. The chronological framework which is necessary to situate the production of the soapstone figurines in time and space for the understanding of human and material development has not received due attention. Furthermore, there is also a need to determine the environmental condition under which the soapstone figurines were manufactured. Therefore, this study was designed to examine the spatio-temporal inferences from the soapstone figurine found in Esie, Kwara State, Nigeria. The Julian Steward Cultural Ecology theory involving the determination of human development, ecology and ideology of the people was used for this study. Archaeological reconnaissance, excavation of sites and ethnography were the methods used. Archaeological reconnaissance was carried out to identify possible sites to be studied through observation to changes in soil colour, vegetation and other landscape features, and for collection of artefacts. Two sites in Igbo-Ilowe, one each from Ijan and the premises of the National Museum in Esie were reconnoitred. Excavation was undertaken at selected sites to reveal the cultural materials beneath the ground surface and to allow for sample collections. Soapstone samples collected were studied petrographically while pollen analysis was also undertaken. Charcoal was collected from excavation trenches and was dated by radiocarbon method. Eighteen purposively selected key informants were interviewed for the significance and uses of the cultural items recovered. Archaeological reconnaissance revealed soapstone outcrops were observed in Esie, Igbo Ilowe and Ijan during reconnaissance survey. A possible soapstone quarry site was found in Igbo-Ilowe with quantities of partly worked and un-worked figurine pieces. Samples recovered were soapstones, potsherds and iron objects. Excavations revealed lithics, soapstones, potsherds, smoking pipes, terracotta, and organic materials such as snail shells, palm kernels, teeth fragments, seeds, bones and cowrie shells. Petrographic analysis identified the dominant mineral in the soapstone to be talc, which was available locally and found important to the figurine production. Pollen analysis yielded large quantity of whistling pine Casuarina equisetifolia, an excellent fuel known for its charcoal yield. Radiocarbon dates from recovered charcoal samples indicated that the culture of soapstone figurines flourished between 510 ±50 BP and 650 ±30 BP. Ethnographic materials such as beads, smoking pipes, and cowries revealed a community that had all the indices of a developed culture evident through the artistic manufacture of soapstone figurines. The occurrence of talc in Esie allowed for the production of Soapstone figurines between 14th and early 15th century, the outcrop of talc in Esie and its environs may have served as the impetus for its production. 2019-11-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/283 A PALYNOLOGICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN OCCUPATION OF THE RAINFOREST OF SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIA DURING THE LATE HOLOCENE PERIOD EMUOBOSA, AKPO ORIJEMIE The Tropical Rainforest (TRF) is the richest ecosystem in the world. In Nigeria, there are three varieties of this forest—the Lowland Rainforest (LRF), the Mangrove Swamp Forest (MSF) and the Freshwater Swamp Forest (FWSF). However, there is limited information about the vegetation history of the TRF and the antiquity of human occupation and interaction with it during the Holocene. Therefore this research was aimed at reconstructing the Holocene vegetation history of the LRF and MSF in selected sites in SW Nigeria, ascertaining the antiquity of human settlement and appraising human impact on both forests during the late Holocene. Pollen analyses were carried out on sediment cores from Ogudu, Otolu and Ikorigho where the LRF and MSF still exist, and at Ahanve where only the LRF is present. Anthracological analyses were also carried out to determine the evidence of fire in the cores. Archaeological excavations were conducted on two mounds at Ahanve. These mounds, designated test pit1 (TPI) and 2 (TPII), were 2.1m and 1.1m deep respectively. Ahanve was selected for excavation with a view to ascertaining human antiquity and contributions, if any, to the disappearance of the MSF there. The recovered archaeological materials were classified according to types, decorations and functions. The plant species in the LRF and MSF of all the sites were abundant and diverse in the Middle Holocene. They were characterised by wet forest taxa including Irvingia gabonensis, Pentaclethra macrophylla, Piptadeniastrum africanum, Rhizophora and Avicennia africana. The inferred climate was warm and wet. During the late Holocene, the LRF was reduced to secondary forest while the MSF drastically reduced in Ogudu at 2620± 30yrs B.P. and in Ikorigho at 1190±30yrs B.P., but it recovered thereafter. No significant reductions in the MSF were noted at Otolu. In contrast, mangroves disappeared from Ahanve at 3109± 26yrs B.P. and were subsequently replaced by secondary forest and coastal savanna. The causative factors for the vegetation changes were climatic, hydrological and salinity changes. A C14 date obtained from layer 130-140cm of TPI indicated human occupation of Ahanve at 360±40yrs B.P. This date does not indicate that humans contributed to the disappearance of mangroves there. Aquatic and terrestrial macrofaunal remains from the excavations included freshwater clam (Anodonta sp), catfish (Clarias gariepinnis), African giant snail (Archachatina achatina), cat-like animals and rodents (Rattus sp.). The occurrence of numerous charred palm kernels and charcoal indicated the utilisation of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) fruit for food on the one hand, and use of fire on the other. A high number of pottery, animal remains, iron slag and charcoal particles recovered from levels dated to AD1440–AD1800 suggested intensive human activities at those times. The occurrence of foreign smoking pipes between AD1800 and 1940 suggested that the Ahanve people had contacts, directly or indirectly, with Europeans. Natural environmental changes were responsible for the reduction in the tropical rainforest during the late Holocene. Human occupation in the study area contributed to this reduction in the historic phase of this period. Keywords: Holocene, Tropical rainforest, Environmental changes, Palynology, Human settlement Word count: 493 2013-02-01T00:00:00Z