Category:Prehistoric Period: Difference between revisions

The Prehistoric Period in the context of Nigeria refers to the long span of human presence before the emergence of written records and before historically documented states and kingdoms. Knowledge of this period is reconstructed primarily through archaeology, paleoenvironmental studies, and material culture analysis rather than textual sources.

Because “prehistory” is defined by the absence of local written documentation, its boundaries are not fixed and may differ by region and research tradition. In Nigerian historical writing, the Prehistoric Period is commonly treated as encompassing the earliest human activity through the centuries leading up to clearly attested early complex societies and iron-working traditions.

Archaeological evidence indicates long-term human occupation across the areas that form present-day Nigeria, shaped by changing climates and landscapes. Communities developed diverse lifeways ranging from mobile foraging to more settled patterns involving food production, craft specialisation, and exchange.

Key developments typically discussed within this broad period include:

• adaptation to shifting ecological zones (savanna, forest, riverine environments)
• growth of settled communities and local exchange networks
• early technologies in stone, bone, wood, fibre, and clay
• the gradual emergence of specialised production and social differentiation

For Craftpedia purposes, the Prehistoric Period is relevant because it contains the earliest evidence for technologies and practices that later become recognisable craft traditions. Typical themes include:

• Lithic traditions (stone tool production and maintenance)
• Early ceramics (where attested), including functional vessels and firing knowledge
• Fibre and organic crafts (basketry, cordage, woodwork), which are often underrepresented archaeologically due to poor preservation
• Adornment and personal objects (beads, pigments, body ornamentation), important for understanding early aesthetic systems

Most prehistoric reconstructions rely on excavated sites, stratigraphy, radiometric dating, and comparative regional studies. Preservation conditions vary greatly, so the surviving archaeological record is uneven. As a result, absence of evidence should not be treated as evidence of absence, especially for organic materials.

• Early Iron Age
• Ancient Kingdoms and Early States Period
• History of Nigeria