1915.19.3

Collection type

Object

Description

Seven tin beads, two of which are fused together. [JC 20 7 2000]

Long description

Seven tin beads, two of which are fused together. [JC 20 7 2000] The beads are disc shaped with central holes. [MJD (Verve) 9/5/2016]

Geographical reference

Nigeria

Africa > Western Africa > Nigeria

Bauchi State Bauchi Plateau Bisichi

Person

Field collector J.N. Justice

PRM source J.N. Justice

Date / Period

Date made: 900 BC - AD 200, uncertain Archaeological period: Nok Culture, uncertain

Date collected

By 1915

Acquisition information

Donated: 1915

Materials and processes

Material Bead, Material Tin Metal

Dimensions

Diameter: max 7 mm, Height: max 5 mm of two fused together

Object numbers

Accession number: 1915.19.3

Research and responses

These objects were considered by Dr Paul Lane, University of York, as part of the Fell funded project Characterizing the World Archaeology Collections. He noted that these may well be from the 'Nok culture', that has been dated to between 900 BC and AD 200. As Justice and Johnson reported: ‘a considerable number of curious perforated cylindrical tin beads have been dug up from a depth of from 12 to 16 feet. The beads are about a quarter of an inch in length. In the same way, in winning tin at Ropp, curious spirals half an inch in length are frequently recovered in dressing the cassiterite. These spirals are of pure tin and could scarcely have been formed by other than human agency. Whereas these ornaments are found at considerable depths, stone implements are commonly found all over the surface, but chiefly where there are any stonework erections and earth mounds’ See JUSTICE, J.N. and JOHNSTON, H.H. 1922: The ancient metal workings in East Nigeria. Man 22 (Jan.), 3–4. [AS 24/08/2010]

Associated publications

JUSTICE, J.N. and JOHNSTON, H.H. 1922: The ancient metal workings in East Nigeria. Man 22 (Jan.), 3–4. [AS 24/08/2010]

Search terms: Bead, Metallurgy