0:00:05 > 0:00:07Africa, where the human race began.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Nearly a billion people live here,
0:00:13 > 0:00:15and it's a continent
0:00:15 > 0:00:19with an incredible diversity of communities and cultures.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24Yet we know less of its history than almost anywhere else on Earth.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31But that's beginning to change.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35In the last few decades, researchers and archaeologists have begun
0:00:35 > 0:00:37to uncover a range of histories
0:00:37 > 0:00:40as impressive and extraordinary as anywhere else on Earth.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46It's a history which has been neglected for years,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48and it's largely without written records.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55But it is preserved for us in the gold and statues, in the culture,
0:00:55 > 0:00:57art, and legends of the people.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05My name is Gus Casely-Hayford.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09Over many years I've studied the history and culture of Africa.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13As an art historian,
0:01:13 > 0:01:17I'm used to drawing stories from mute objects from the past.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19I'm going to discover the history,
0:01:19 > 0:01:23and find out what really happened to the lost kingdoms of Africa.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Many of the stories of Africa are told here,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43the British Museum in London.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46This is where thousands of artefacts
0:01:46 > 0:01:51collected, bought, and taken from the continent ended up.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55When they were first discovered,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59objects from the ancient kingdoms of West Africa stunned the world.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05None more so than these extraordinary plaques.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09They came from what was once the kingdom of Benin,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12and are around 500 years old.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19When the British came upon these objects in 1897, they thought,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22"There's no way they could have been created by Africans."
0:02:22 > 0:02:25They were amazed at the detail and the intricacy.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31They were seen as being something completely revolutionary
0:02:31 > 0:02:34to the British, and you can understand why.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40These aren't carvings, they're 16th century casts
0:02:40 > 0:02:43in copper-rich alloys of brass and bronze.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Over 900 plaques are thought to have been made.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51To produce each one, the artist would need to know
0:02:51 > 0:02:53how to make and fire a clay mould,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56and how to melt the metals to pour into it.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59It's an incredibly difficult skill to master.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07The combination of relatively sophisticated science and artistic accomplishment
0:03:07 > 0:03:10baffled most European 19th-century observers.
0:03:10 > 0:03:15They couldn't believe that so-called primitives had been capable
0:03:15 > 0:03:17of producing work of the same standard
0:03:17 > 0:03:19as their European contemporaries.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25These amazing objects just didn't match the Europeans' view
0:03:25 > 0:03:27of West Africans.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31The questions were, where did they get the technology
0:03:31 > 0:03:33to develop this amazing bronze work,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36and where did they find the materials?
0:03:39 > 0:03:42But the clue as to how such artefacts were manufactured
0:03:42 > 0:03:44are there for the finding,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47but I think they will reveal much
0:03:47 > 0:03:50about the West African kingdoms that created them.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54I want to know why they were made, what they mean,
0:03:54 > 0:03:59and what that tells us about the time and place they were produced.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04And there are some symbols that seem to reoccur.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06The leopard, the snake, the crocodile,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08so obviously they were very important.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10I'm going to find out what they mean,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13and why they were so important to these people.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18These recurring images remind me
0:04:18 > 0:04:22of the symbolic motifs in Renaissance art.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27I think they carry hidden layers of meaning,
0:04:27 > 0:04:31beyond the understanding of the imperialistic Brits.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36So what do the bronzes tell us about the kingdom of Benin,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38and its power, and its culture,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42and what does the technology required to make them
0:04:42 > 0:04:44tell us about pre-colonial West Africa?
0:04:49 > 0:04:52I'll travel to modern-day Nigeria,
0:04:52 > 0:04:57where the kingdom of Benin reached its height in the 16th century.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59And I'll reach even further back in time,
0:04:59 > 0:05:05and explore a panoply of ancient cities and kingdoms in West Africa,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08founded many centuries before Benin.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12I'll look for evidence in what's now Mali,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15of how ancient culture and technologies made Benin
0:05:15 > 0:05:16and its bronzes possible.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26The centre of power of the kingdom of Benin was Benin City.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Today it is one of Nigeria's thriving cities,
0:05:29 > 0:05:33home to over a million Africans.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36The main circle in the centre is dotted with statues,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39public art depicting Benin's history.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43For 600 years, until the late 19th century,
0:05:43 > 0:05:47it dominated this part of West Africa.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51But the kingdom's former scale and power are not immediately obvious,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53unless you know where to look.
0:05:55 > 0:06:00Dr Ekhagusa Aisien, author of several books on Benin's history,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04is taking me to see a 500-year-old feat of engineering.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08At the kingdom's height in the 16th century,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11a series of moats and earthen walls
0:06:11 > 0:06:14protected the city and its surrounding land.
0:06:14 > 0:06:21It was a defensive system, that consisted of a ditch,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23and then a rampart.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28What little survives is overgrown and barely recognisable,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31but archaeologists have found evidence of a vast network
0:06:31 > 0:06:34of trenches and walls up to nine metres high.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39They zigzagged around the city area for an incredible 4,000 miles.
0:06:39 > 0:06:45Benin really was the capital of this part of Africa.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50That is, the eastern part of the west coast of Africa.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Benin was the principle town.
0:06:53 > 0:06:59It was an important centre of the culture of this part of Africa.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02It was an important centre of the political reach,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05along the huge area
0:07:05 > 0:07:09of the eastern portion of the west coast of Africa.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13The kingdom was governed from a vast palace
0:07:13 > 0:07:16by a hereditary ruler, the Oba.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20His subjects were animists - believers in the idea
0:07:20 > 0:07:24that souls and spirits existed not only in humans,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27but in animals, plants and the earth itself.
0:07:27 > 0:07:32At its height it exerted political, military, and economic control
0:07:32 > 0:07:36over an area stretching almost 40,000 square miles.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40In the 19th century the British saw the kingdom as an opportunity
0:07:40 > 0:07:42to extend their influence in Africa.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45They established a trade agreement,
0:07:45 > 0:07:49but when Benin reneged on it, relations deteriorated.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53A British delegation ignored warnings not to approach the Oba
0:07:53 > 0:07:55and were massacred,
0:07:55 > 0:07:59leaving just two survivors from over 200 people.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05A month later, in February 1897,
0:08:05 > 0:08:091,200 British soldiers arrived in response.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12The city walls didn't stop the British punitive expedition,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15and the city was razed to the ground.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17At the Royal Palace, they found artwork
0:08:17 > 0:08:21that they couldn't believe had been created by Africans.
0:08:21 > 0:08:28Around 2000 pieces were taken, sold, and distributed to Western museums.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30The Oba was deposed, and died in exile.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34It was a catastrophic defeat for the kingdom of Benin,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38but that's not the impression you get from the modern monument
0:08:38 > 0:08:39in the centre of the city.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41It shows a Benin warrior
0:08:41 > 0:08:46standing victorious over his dead and dying British enemies.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49I actually see it as a triumph of narrative,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53that we will continue as a nation, whatever.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58Ultimately, it tells the story of a victorious nation,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01victorious in the sense that it proudly tells its stories,
0:09:01 > 0:09:03whether it's in the Benin Bronzes
0:09:03 > 0:09:06or whether it's in monuments like this today.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13In Benin, it seems history isn't written by the victors,
0:09:13 > 0:09:15it's written by the artists.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21And the kingdom of Benin disappeared only for a short time.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28In 1914, the British restored the monarchy to Benin City
0:09:28 > 0:09:31to help administer their Nigerian colony,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34and a modest palace was rebuilt.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39The traditions of the kingdom that have survived,
0:09:39 > 0:09:44are maintained from an enclave in the city centre.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46I've been granted a royal audience,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49an opportunity to attend the Oba's court,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52where hereditary and appointed chiefs gather each day.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57When His Royal Majesty the Oba of Benin enters,
0:09:57 > 0:10:01the Chiefs greet him with, "God save the King".
0:10:01 > 0:10:03THEY ALL GREET HIM
0:10:10 > 0:10:13This is more than a symbolic institution.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16The Oba and his chiefs rule on issues brought to them
0:10:16 > 0:10:18by ordinary people.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Their judgment carries authority here,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24and the kingdom exists in parallel with the Nigerian state.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28With a leopard at the Oba's feet and standard bearers at his side,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31it's like one of the Benin bronzes come to life.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38This is the kind of occasion
0:10:38 > 0:10:41he believes the plaques were designed to mark.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47Those bronzes were not made for museum pieces.
0:10:47 > 0:10:52Initially, in the absence of photography and writing,
0:10:52 > 0:10:59they were made to depict certain events in the palace,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02or the community, or some festivals.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04That's why you see them,
0:11:04 > 0:11:09they were made as in the absence of photography.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12That's what they were made for initially, yes.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15And how important are the bronze-casters, the smiths,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18the people who actually make these objects?
0:11:18 > 0:11:19They are a guild, a royal guild,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23specifically to be trained in these things in the olden days.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30The bronze casters' guild exists today.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Their main business is tourist souvenirs,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36but the makers are still an exclusive group of craftsmen,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38with high social status.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Membership of the royal guild is hereditary.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Ikponmwusa Inneh's family have been bronze casters
0:11:47 > 0:11:49for as long as anyone can remember.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58The skills that created the 16th century bronzes
0:11:58 > 0:12:00are still evident today.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02You see, it's liquid now. You can see the flame.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08The process begins with a simple clay shape to act as a core.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11So then you cover the core with wax?
0:12:11 > 0:12:14With wax, then you start your details,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17the mouth, the nose, the eye.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20- And then you cover it... - With the mud.- With the mud.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23This is the soft mud which we use to cover them,
0:12:23 > 0:12:29so you cover the hole with the mud, soft mud, after the designing.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34The details in the wax will leave their impression on the clay mud.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37When the object is heated, the clay will harden,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40and the wax will melt and drain out.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44Molten metal will fill the space left by the wax.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Inside the fire is like this pot,
0:12:47 > 0:12:52and with this scrap metal, you load this pot.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57In the 16th century, the craftsmen melted down copper bracelets
0:12:57 > 0:13:00brought by Portuguese traders to create brass and bronze.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Nowadays, any metal seems to do.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06So you can put something like a car aerial?
0:13:06 > 0:13:12A car aerial, this is scrap metal, and then you put them in here,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15then I'll put it inside the fire here.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17In the furnace,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21the assortment of metal melts at around 1,000 degrees Celsius.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Ikpnmwusa has some moulds that have been fired
0:13:26 > 0:13:29and the melted wax has been drained away.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Now the molten metal can be poured in.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43It's just amazing to think that these processes haven't changed
0:13:43 > 0:13:44for hundreds of years.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47- No, no it hasn't changed. - But the thing is, it still feels...
0:13:47 > 0:13:49- It's still the same. - ..totally relevant as well.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Very, very. Very, very.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55The same way, 100 years ago, it's the same way today.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59The same processes from one stage to another, from one stage to another,
0:13:59 > 0:14:00it's the same process.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02And, and in terms of the relevance,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06is it still there, do people still feel these are important?
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Very, very. We have more than 100-and-something members
0:14:09 > 0:14:12of bronze-casters along this street.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14- Really?- Working.
0:14:14 > 0:14:15And they still feel...
0:14:15 > 0:14:17And the younger ones are still coming up.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Really, and they feel connected to the Oba and the Royal palace?
0:14:21 > 0:14:23- Yes.- Yes?- Yes.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25So those old stories and traditions,
0:14:25 > 0:14:27they're as important to you as to your ancestors?
0:14:27 > 0:14:31- It remains this year, next year, and forever.- Forever more.- Yeah.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Once the mould has cooled enough,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40it can be chipped away to leave the metal cast.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43It strikes me that Ikponmwusa and his fellow bronze-casters
0:14:43 > 0:14:46have an impressive range of skills.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48They need to understand pottery,
0:14:48 > 0:14:52metallurgy, and have artistic ability.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56And the same skills would have been required 500 years ago
0:14:56 > 0:15:01to cast the Benin Bronzes, something the Victorians could hardly believe.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Oh, I'm beginning to see what it is now. It's two hands praying.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07- It's a prayer hand.- I see. - It's a prayer hand.
0:15:07 > 0:15:08A Christian ornament,
0:15:08 > 0:15:12which has been created using a centuries-old technique.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22For me, these objects don't reach the standards
0:15:22 > 0:15:24of the 16th-century bronzes.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27But these are for the tourists rather than for the Royal Palace.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Reminders of the quality craftsmanship
0:15:32 > 0:15:37once commissioned by the King now lie in Benin City's museum.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40These are, sadly,
0:15:40 > 0:15:46mostly replicas of bronzes that were taken from here in 1897.
0:15:46 > 0:15:52But even so, I'm struck once again by the intricacy of these objects.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55It's always the detail that shocks me
0:15:55 > 0:15:57when I look at these Benin plaques.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00I mean, the whole thing
0:16:00 > 0:16:05is very much like a historical document as much as a piece of art.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07This is depicting very particular people
0:16:07 > 0:16:11and you can imagine them in all of their finery,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13because you can see it actually depicted here,
0:16:13 > 0:16:15the detail of the textiles,
0:16:15 > 0:16:19the layered textiles that they're wearing.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24Many bronzes depict 16th century Obas and they are records
0:16:24 > 0:16:27of specific events, such as military victories
0:16:27 > 0:16:29which expanded the kingdom.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35This for me will be Oba Esigie
0:16:35 > 0:16:40returning from fighting the Ogana triumphant, with his retinue.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45Oba Esigie bolstered the kingdom with the help of the Portuguese,
0:16:45 > 0:16:48who provided weapons and mercenaries for battles.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Many of the plaques were made during his reign.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54The Portuguese also brought the metal
0:16:54 > 0:16:57which enabled the bronze-casters to immortalise his exploits.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00But these craft pre-dates the arrival of the Portuguese,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03so there must have been another source of copper
0:17:03 > 0:17:04for the bronze-smiths.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07And while the bronzes were records of the kingdom's histories,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10I think they were also more than that.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13I want to find the origin and meaning
0:17:13 > 0:17:16of the symbols depicted in them, like this magnificent leopard,
0:17:16 > 0:17:20and the snake which appears on the roof of the Oba's palace.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24I also want to find out how the culture and technology spread.
0:17:24 > 0:17:30The answer may lie in West Africa's dynamic and lost civilizations.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34For a thousand years before the rise of Benin,
0:17:34 > 0:17:38West Africa had seen several overlapping kingdoms rise and fall.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42They had no fixed boundaries or singular ethnic identity.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46They were held together by the trade routes they sought to control.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51The 14th century saw one kingdom in particular flourish.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55The empire of Mali, and its city Timbuktu.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02I'm going there to see whether there's any evidence
0:18:02 > 0:18:07that points to the development of Benin craftsmanship 500 years ago.
0:18:07 > 0:18:13In the 1300s, Mali was the most powerful kingdom in West Africa.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Its emperor, Mansa Musa,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19was at one time thought to be the richest man in the world,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22famed for his vast gold reserves
0:18:22 > 0:18:24and for sending envoys to European courts.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Timbuktu's wealth and power came because
0:18:28 > 0:18:32it was the hub of the lucrative trans-Sahara trade routes.
0:18:32 > 0:18:39Arab merchants brought goods such as salt, textiles, and new metals
0:18:39 > 0:18:41into West Africa from across the desert.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Metals are still worked in Timbuktu's back streets.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Very interesting indeed.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52I'm told that in the 14th century,
0:18:52 > 0:18:56the camel trains brought refined copper from North Africa,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59which made its way south towards Benin.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02But if this was the source of the bronze casters' metal,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05I wonder if there are any other hints
0:19:05 > 0:19:08as to the meaning of the symbols I saw in the plaques.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11The Arabs didn't just bring goods to this part of Africa,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13they also brought Islam.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15It's certainly very different from Benin.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19I've brought a local historian some images of the Bronzes.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21I have here some images of Benin plaques
0:19:21 > 0:19:23which are actually in the British Museum,
0:19:23 > 0:19:27and I'm just wondering if, looking at these images,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30if they played any part in the history,
0:19:30 > 0:19:32or the mythologies of Timbuktu.
0:20:20 > 0:20:26Timbuktu's story-telling is owned by teachers and scholars
0:20:26 > 0:20:29from the libraries and the ancient university,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31not by guilds of craftsmen.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Timbuktu may have been the source of copper
0:20:34 > 0:20:36for the bronze work further south,
0:20:36 > 0:20:41but not the imagery, the techniques, or symbolism I've seen.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46But further south is another important,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49ancient city of West Africa.
0:20:51 > 0:20:56220 miles from Timbuktu is the city of Djenne.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Perhaps I can find clues there as to how the culture
0:20:59 > 0:21:02and craftsmanship of Benin may have developed.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11It lies on a natural thoroughfare, the inland delta of the River Niger.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Djenne was established here around 800AD,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17three centuries before Timbuktu
0:21:17 > 0:21:21and 800 years before the Benin Bronzes were cast.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28This is Djenne, one of the great markets of West Africa.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31And when the market's on, the town here swells
0:21:31 > 0:21:34to more than three times its usual size.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38This is one of the great spectacles of West Africa.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44I've arranged to meet a local historian and guide,
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Amadou Cisse.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48- Hello.- Nice to meet you.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Nice to meet you, welcome to Djenne.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Djenne was flourishing by the 13th century,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59and there's been a thriving market here ever since,
0:21:59 > 0:22:04overlooked by the Great Mosque that dominates the city.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09But it isn't just a local market.
0:22:09 > 0:22:14Djenne has long been connected with far flung destinations,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17and the proof is on the market stalls themselves.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19These are beautiful beads.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22- Those are old beads.- These are old.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25I know that there have been beads that have been found here
0:22:25 > 0:22:27that are more than 2,000 years old.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- Of course.- They may have come from India or China.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Of course. So they find one bead.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Then another, and they put it together and make the necklace.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41At its peak, it was without doubt,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45one of the great markets of West Africa.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50The trade from here supported the development, not just of the Mosque,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53but of a huge infrastructure across the area,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55and it drew people from miles around.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Its strategic position as a trading crossroads
0:23:00 > 0:23:03meant Djenne was contested and conquered
0:23:03 > 0:23:06by several kingdoms throughout its long history.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Yet Djenne has managed to hold onto particularly local traditions.
0:23:10 > 0:23:16These mud buildings are unlike anything else in West Africa.
0:23:16 > 0:23:17Amadou, this is a beautiful house.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22The architecture of Djenne is unique in the world.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Amadou says that each architectural feature has meaning.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29The vertical columns indicate that the owner had two wives.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33There's one pillar at the top for each of his five children.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37This symbolism has more in common with the craftsmanship of Benin
0:23:37 > 0:23:39nearly 900 miles away,
0:23:39 > 0:23:43than to the writing traditions of Timbuktu to the north.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48So that was in between the 12th to the 13th Century, people had dream
0:23:48 > 0:23:52of building house in that style of architecture.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56Islam forbids representative images,
0:23:56 > 0:24:00but could architecture be an outlet for artists here?
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Every house tells a visual story.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06It's a mud building. We have to rebuild our house every year.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09When the rains, for example, because it's a mud building,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12in the rainy season we lose part of the wall.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14When there is a new birth in our family,
0:24:14 > 0:24:18or somebody dies, we change the whole architecture every year.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22And so that must mean that there is a whole tradition of masons
0:24:22 > 0:24:27and of people who preserve and conserve these buildings.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Yes, yes.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33Djenne's masons are all from a hereditary guild,
0:24:33 > 0:24:38just like the bronze casters of Benin. With their special skills,
0:24:38 > 0:24:42the masons maintain their old traditions,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45as well as the ancient beliefs and symbolic codes.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51Amadou's mason friend, Tamusa, makes special bricks,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55mixing the mud with rice, charcoal, and other material.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00In so doing, he infuses them with magical animist powers
0:25:00 > 0:25:03to protect and bring luck to the homeowners.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07Every building of Djenne always starts with this technique.
0:25:09 > 0:25:15So then you have special bricks, five special bricks,
0:25:15 > 0:25:18- made with this mixed into the mud. - Oh, I see.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23OK, you are doing one on that corner, one to another corner of the house,
0:25:23 > 0:25:27so the four corners of your house have to get these special bricks.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30So one in the middle, in the centre of the house,
0:25:30 > 0:25:32then you build the house.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43This is the animist belief
0:25:43 > 0:25:48that spirits can be found in earthly materials and in animals.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52Could this be part of the same traditions
0:25:52 > 0:25:56illustrated in the snake and leopard symbols of the Benin Bronzes?
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Djenne was not the first city to be established on the inland delta.
0:26:02 > 0:26:08Less than two miles away lie the remains of the oldest known city
0:26:08 > 0:26:11in sub Saharan Africa - Jenne-jeno.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16There, archaeologists have found evidence that animist beliefs
0:26:16 > 0:26:18go back even further in time.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Amadou and I are going to explore it
0:26:21 > 0:26:24with the help of a government archaeologist,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27who helps preserve the world heritage site.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29I would like to introduce him. He is Mr Samake.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32- Mr Samake. Samake.- Samake. - Nice to meet you.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34So he's going to tell us about Jenne-jeno.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37- Yes, of course. He is an expert. - Really? Wonderful.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40For centuries, Jenne-jeno lay ignored,
0:26:40 > 0:26:45its history and significance completely unknown.
0:26:45 > 0:26:51But just 33 years ago, a team of archaeologists realised that
0:26:51 > 0:26:57this unassuming mound was in fact made up of debris five metres deep.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02It revealed evidence of an ancient city 1,000 years older than Benin.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05Jenne-jeno was first settled around 200BC,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09and was inhabited until the 14th century.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12It's thought that the arrival of Islam may have contributed
0:27:12 > 0:27:15to the demise of the animist settlement.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21Here at the Animist place, there was no room for the Islamic people
0:27:21 > 0:27:24to pray because the Islam recommend to pray by group.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28There wasn't the room for all the religions to pray,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31so then the King decided to build in the 12th century the first mosque.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34He make it biggest. People are curious to see
0:27:34 > 0:27:36that big building, that big mosque,
0:27:36 > 0:27:40and so that since this guy decided to build this mosque
0:27:40 > 0:27:42so then started the decline of Jenne-jeno.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44But the fact that animist beliefs
0:27:44 > 0:27:48were practised in such an ancient city is important.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52It means that spirits like those in the masons' bricks have been
0:27:52 > 0:27:56a profound part of West Africans' lives for many centuries.
0:27:56 > 0:28:01But Jenne-jeno's significance is not just metaphysical.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Artefacts found here have convinced archaeologists
0:28:04 > 0:28:09that Jenne-jeno was the region's first major trading crossroads,
0:28:09 > 0:28:13possibly from the time of its settlement around 200BC.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16Evidence of craftsmanship is scattered everywhere,
0:28:16 > 0:28:19and it's a technology with a distant link
0:28:19 > 0:28:22to the manufacture of the Benin Bronzes - pottery.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Can you tell me from these shards of pot
0:28:25 > 0:28:28what periods are represented here?
0:28:28 > 0:28:29I mean if, if you pick up...
0:28:29 > 0:28:33There seems to be pottery of so many different types.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36So many different kinds of decoration.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39850 to the 11th century.
0:28:39 > 0:28:45Only 850 into the 11th century, people had used this technique.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51When this city was being abandoned,
0:28:51 > 0:28:53these were the kinds of pots that they were making?
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Yes, in the 14th century it was completely abandoned.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58So this is Jenne-jeno at its height
0:28:58 > 0:29:01- when people are demanding sophisticated pottery.- Exactly.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04They are probably trading with people
0:29:04 > 0:29:06from right across the region
0:29:06 > 0:29:12and obviously the pottery reflects all of that economic might.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15Jenne-jeno wasn't just making pottery,
0:29:15 > 0:29:17required for the casting technology of Benin.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20Oh. This is metal.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22It's a piece of metal.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25So that's from 800 after Jesus Christ.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27- That's iron.- Iron, yeah.
0:29:27 > 0:29:28Smelted iron.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32The excavations have revealed evidence of blacksmithing here.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34The iron industry of Jenne-jeno
0:29:34 > 0:29:39is one of the earliest known in sub-Saharan Africa.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42And the continuity of remains makes archaeologists believe that
0:29:42 > 0:29:44there was a guild system here,
0:29:44 > 0:29:48just like the masons of Djenne and the bronze casters of Benin.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54This early evidence of metalworking and a guild system
0:29:54 > 0:29:57means that the craftsmanship seen in the Benin Bronzes
0:29:57 > 0:30:00developed in West Africa over many centuries.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04But there are no iron ore mines near Jenne-jeno.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07And whilst there were animist practises here,
0:30:07 > 0:30:10I still haven't found evidence of the symbolism
0:30:10 > 0:30:12seen in Benin craftsmanship.
0:30:12 > 0:30:18But 70 miles away is a living example of an animist community.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21I'm travelling to the Dogon country to see how, and why,
0:30:21 > 0:30:23their culture and traditions endure,
0:30:23 > 0:30:27and whether there's any link to the Benin Bronzes.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35The Dogon live in a succession of small villages
0:30:35 > 0:30:38clinging to the lower reaches of the Bandiagara Escarpment.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44It's a spectacular 150-mile-long sandstone ridge
0:30:44 > 0:30:47that rises above the savannah.
0:30:50 > 0:30:55I've come here with a local guide, Kene Dolo.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00Archaeologists believe Jenne-jeno may have got its iron ore
0:31:00 > 0:31:02from deposits near the escarpment,
0:31:02 > 0:31:07and its no surprise that there's a long tradition of ironwork here.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13In fact, archaeologists have dated iron smelting in West Africa
0:31:13 > 0:31:15to around 500BC.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20And like the Benin craftsmen and the Djenne masons,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23blacksmiths have a special place in Dogon society.
0:31:23 > 0:31:28In this village we have only one family blacksmith.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30- One family?- Only one family.
0:31:30 > 0:31:35- And that is because they are a very important caste family.- Right.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38This is passed down from father to son, is it? These traditions?
0:31:38 > 0:31:40And is this the father over here?
0:31:40 > 0:31:42Yes. It is his father.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44So they would know about the history
0:31:44 > 0:31:46- and these guys, they bring them to life.- Right.
0:31:46 > 0:31:51You take these ingredients, the ore which is from the earth.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54- You take the coal...- Yes.
0:31:54 > 0:31:55..which is from the earth.
0:31:55 > 0:32:00- You take the air. The transforming of these raw materials...- Yes.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03..just into something which is useful.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07Filling them with a kind of spirit.
0:32:07 > 0:32:12Yes, the blacksmiths have a lot of secrets in their life.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14They have important magic.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20The blacksmiths don't just magically transform iron ore into metal.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24They also work in wood, carving masks and figures.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28They have been essential in keeping Dogon traditions alive
0:32:28 > 0:32:30since at least the 13th century.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33Some of the blacksmith's handiwork is appearing this evening
0:32:33 > 0:32:37in a ritual called dama, part of a funeral ceremony.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42HE SINGS
0:32:48 > 0:32:54The Dogon may date back as far as 10,000BC, no-one is certain,
0:32:54 > 0:32:55but these are traditions
0:32:55 > 0:32:58that developed over many centuries at least.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03Could this be the system of symbols I'm looking for?
0:33:03 > 0:33:08The beginning of an artistic tradition that leads to the bronzes?
0:33:08 > 0:33:12This ceremony is to lead the soul of a recently deceased elder
0:33:12 > 0:33:14to his final resting place.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18It certainly contains echoes of the plaques.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27This is the spirit mask, the spirit.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30This colour is the, it is the death...
0:33:30 > 0:33:33- Death.- Death colour.- Death.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36If somebody is dead they put on this colour of clothing...
0:33:36 > 0:33:37indigo.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46They represent the Heron, the...the format.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50The feet they represent the Heron feet. It is elegant.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54- They are very elegant, just like herons.- Yes, yes.
0:33:54 > 0:33:58This is a vibrant illustration of animist practises.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01In wearing the masks and the costumes, the Dogon take on
0:34:01 > 0:34:05the character of the spirit they believe each animal possesses.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08Dogon tradition says that they migrated
0:34:08 > 0:34:12to the escarpment centuries ago from the Manding mountains 400 miles away
0:34:12 > 0:34:14because of the spread of Islam.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17They sought somewhere they felt secure
0:34:17 > 0:34:21to continue their animist traditions without the fear of being converted.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27- These are snakes?- Yes, these are snakes. The two masks. Yes.
0:34:35 > 0:34:40And all this group is the lizard mask.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42So what's happening here?
0:34:42 > 0:34:45Er...they're dancing to goodbye the bad spirits
0:34:45 > 0:34:49to go away from the village because it touches the ground.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51To clean the village.
0:34:51 > 0:34:57- Bad things go away.- Oh, this is warding away evil.- Yes, yes.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07For centuries, Dogon culture has withstood pressures from conquerors,
0:35:07 > 0:35:09empire-builders and missionaries.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13This breath-taking performance is art,
0:35:13 > 0:35:17spirituality and symbolism all rolled into one.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24And I've seen dancing all over Africa,
0:35:24 > 0:35:28but that was absolutely the most spectacular I have ever seen.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31THEY SHOUT AND CHANT
0:35:40 > 0:35:42In the morning, Kene takes me to see
0:35:42 > 0:35:46another way Dogon culture is represented,
0:35:46 > 0:35:49as part of the design of a granary belonging to the chief
0:35:49 > 0:35:52and spiritual leader, the Hogon.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59Oh, look at that.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01This is the granary door.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04- I see.- The door for the granary.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08You see? This is the Hogon.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Yes, it is the oldest person in the village.
0:36:11 > 0:36:16All this group of masks represent the Kananga mask.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18Oh, the mask with the lizard on the top.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20- Yes.- These are the lizards...
0:36:20 > 0:36:23- It is a lizard.- ..being led in the dance by these men here.- Yes.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25And this is the head of the lizard...
0:36:25 > 0:36:28- I see.- ..and this direction represents the sky...
0:36:28 > 0:36:32The door isn't just about spiritual belief.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36It also commemorates the trek undertaken by the Dogon people
0:36:36 > 0:36:41from their original homeland around the 13th century.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45This is the eight family Dogon coming from Manding to here.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48- So these are the original people who migrated...- Yes.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51- ..all the way from the Manding... - Yes, yes.
0:36:51 > 0:36:52..down here to the Dogon lands.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55They walk to Manding by foot to build here.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57This is a piece of history? This is history...
0:36:57 > 0:36:59- Yes, yes.- In wood?
0:36:59 > 0:37:03Yes, in wood, and it is acacia wood. We take some...
0:37:03 > 0:37:10some piece to make a door with Dogon history to...to give the informa...
0:37:10 > 0:37:14the whole information to the, er, young generation.
0:37:14 > 0:37:15To the young people.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18Yes, who didn't lose our culture.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22Here, 800 miles from Benin, is a living example
0:37:22 > 0:37:24of the same kind of history and story telling
0:37:24 > 0:37:26as we find in the bronzes.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28The techniques may be simpler
0:37:28 > 0:37:31but the purpose seems strikingly similar.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37The determination to record cultural heritage is common to the Dogon,
0:37:37 > 0:37:40the Benin craftsmen, the Djenne masons
0:37:40 > 0:37:44and the guilds of blacksmiths in West Africa.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48The need to maintain their identity was vital when kingdoms,
0:37:48 > 0:37:53new religions and centres of power were fluctuating over the centuries.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56But I want to know whether the animist symbols the people use here
0:37:56 > 0:38:00shed light on those used in the kingdom of Benin.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03I've made an appointment to see some elders
0:38:03 > 0:38:05in a neighbouring Dogon village
0:38:05 > 0:38:07a mile along the Bandiagara Escarpment.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14- Hello, hello.- I have brought my sketches of the symbols used
0:38:14 > 0:38:16in the Benin Bronzes to show the elders.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18We're meeting in the Togu'na,
0:38:18 > 0:38:22a men-only gathering place in the centre of the village.
0:38:23 > 0:38:28Do you have, erm, any traditions with leopards? Leopards?
0:38:33 > 0:38:35- Which man?- This man.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38Really? You're from the leopard clan.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41- SPEAKS IN LOCAL LANGUAGE - So this one is you.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43Voila.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55If in the village, in his family if one, er, person
0:38:55 > 0:39:00have to die soon, the leopard comes in the night to the roof,
0:39:00 > 0:39:04- he climb into the roof and "Mmm..."- Oh, really?
0:39:04 > 0:39:09"Mmm", and you know bad news is coming for the family.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13So, something bad is going to happen, someone's going to die.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17To the Dogon, the figure of the leopard certainly has meaning
0:39:17 > 0:39:19and symbolism beyond the physical.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22I wonder if the same is true of the snake.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25- In Benin...- Yes.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27- ..this design of snake...- Yes.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30..originally was found on the roof of the Royal Palace.
0:39:30 > 0:39:34These are snakes around a woman's face.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44- This is bronze. Metal.- Ah, bronze.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55Here the snake protects the village leader.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59It seems to have a protective function in Benin too.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02500 years and 800 miles away from the Benin Bronzes,
0:40:02 > 0:40:07the Dogon people attach meaning to the snake and the leopard
0:40:07 > 0:40:10that chime with those on the plaques.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13And there is also evidence of indigenous development
0:40:13 > 0:40:16of metalworking skills throughout the region.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18But the bronze-casters of Benin
0:40:18 > 0:40:20needed to know about more than metallurgy.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24To create a cast, they first had to make a mould.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28That required the knowledge to manipulate clay.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34And high above the Dogon villages
0:40:34 > 0:40:38is evidence of how it was used 2,000 years ago.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42Kene has taken me to the plateau of the escarpment.
0:40:42 > 0:40:49- 2,000 years ago, all this place, it was a forest.- Really?!
0:40:49 > 0:40:51- In this time of year there more rains than now...- Really?
0:40:51 > 0:40:54More rains than now. All this green.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59The people live here go to hunting. They get many, many animals.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03Elephant, porky pig, you have monkey.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06The people who lived on the Bandiagara Escarpment
0:41:06 > 0:41:082,000 years ago were the Tellem.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12They are believed to have been red-skinned pygmies,
0:41:12 > 0:41:15and they built dwellings into the rock face itself.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25The belief endures that the Tellem had the power of flight,
0:41:25 > 0:41:28and I'm beginning to understand why.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31It does look quite precarious.
0:41:39 > 0:41:44Nestled under the cliffs are one of the wonders of West Africa.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48Kene this is amazing. What are these buildings?
0:41:48 > 0:41:51This is the Tellem building.
0:41:51 > 0:41:57The Tellem lived here 2,000 years ago.
0:42:00 > 0:42:01Here it is a Tellem granary.
0:42:01 > 0:42:07The granaries were built using rich mud from termite mounds.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11This material, and the natural shelter provided by the cliffs,
0:42:11 > 0:42:13means they are extremely well-preserved.
0:42:13 > 0:42:20In some of building, they put the fruit from the tree because
0:42:20 > 0:42:22we have the forest close to them,
0:42:22 > 0:42:28and they take a lot of fruit, er, eat some, and the rest you keep inside.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31So this would be a way of storing food, grain,
0:42:31 > 0:42:33so that in a difficult year...
0:42:33 > 0:42:35- Right.- ..you would be OK.- Yes.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39- It's not just about survival, it's about flourishing.- Yes.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47These structures are not just beautifully built,
0:42:47 > 0:42:50they have been decorated, too.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52The outer surface of these granary stores
0:42:52 > 0:42:55are just covered in these finger marks.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59It's just wonderful to be able to actually place your fingers
0:42:59 > 0:43:02in the marks made by someone possibly 2,000 years ago.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06It suggests that the people who lived here
0:43:06 > 0:43:09could think about more than simple basic needs.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12This is a kind of renaissance.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14A moment when things changed.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18With the development of these granary stores,
0:43:18 > 0:43:22the Tellem no longer just had to be hunters and gatherers.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26They bought themselves the time to create art.
0:43:26 > 0:43:30Archaeologists have found carved head-rests,
0:43:30 > 0:43:33jewellery and even metalwork here.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36The Tellem vanished from this area centuries ago.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39No-one knows why.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42But the fact that jewellery and decoration
0:43:42 > 0:43:46appeared here 2,000 years ago is significant.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52It shows that there was indigenous development of an artistic culture
0:43:52 > 0:43:55in West Africa many generations before
0:43:55 > 0:43:58the bronze casts of Benin were made.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07And nearby, some astonishing discoveries
0:44:07 > 0:44:10have revealed further evidence of craft.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13They may force experts to re-write the history
0:44:13 > 0:44:15of West Africa's development.
0:44:19 > 0:44:20At a place called Ounjougou,
0:44:20 > 0:44:23the past hasn't been dug up by archaeologists.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26It's has been revealed by nature.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29It's hard to believe, but within living memory
0:44:29 > 0:44:33it was impossible to stand where I'm standing now.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36The water levels of these two rivers used to be much, much higher,
0:44:36 > 0:44:42but after a huge storm, the rivers broke their banks.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46They changed course and what they revealed in the mud
0:44:46 > 0:44:49has changed archaeology.
0:44:54 > 0:44:58The river erosion created an archaeologist's dream -
0:44:58 > 0:45:01the cross-section of history in layers of sediment.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05In 2002, an international team began finding evidence
0:45:05 > 0:45:07of pre-historic human activity.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11Adamo Dembele is from Mali's cultural mission,
0:45:11 > 0:45:16which works to preserve the country's archaeological heritage.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57The archaeologists carbon dated the pottery fragments
0:45:57 > 0:46:01to 11,400 years ago.
0:46:02 > 0:46:08People were using pottery here 8,000 years before it appeared in Britain.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13The fragments are 2,000 years older
0:46:13 > 0:46:16than any other pottery found in Africa.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22They are the same age as the oldest-known pottery in the world.
0:46:26 > 0:46:31That fairly modest piece of ceramic tells a revolutionary story.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34I mean, this is a material that must have transformed
0:46:34 > 0:46:36the lives of the people here.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39It allowed people to transport things, to store things.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42I mean, this really is revolutionary.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47The discovery of such ancient pottery here
0:46:47 > 0:46:51means that West Africa was way ahead of its time.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54When West Africans began developing the skills
0:46:54 > 0:46:56that would eventually create
0:46:56 > 0:46:58some of the most exquisite art in the world,
0:46:58 > 0:47:01Europe was just emerging from the last Ice Age.
0:47:05 > 0:47:09The British recognised the extraordinary quality
0:47:09 > 0:47:12of the Benin Bronzes when they took them in 1897.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15But they thought that Africans were incapable of creating them.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19It's only recently that the full and extraordinary history
0:47:19 > 0:47:22of West African craftsmanship has begun to emerge.
0:47:22 > 0:47:26Now we can see how the bronzes give us an insight not just
0:47:26 > 0:47:30into the kingdom of Benin, but into a wider history.
0:47:30 > 0:47:35With fluctuating centres of power, cultural identity in West Africa
0:47:35 > 0:47:38was more important than a sense of nationhood.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40The bronzes show us the power of the Oba
0:47:40 > 0:47:43and the spirits that protected him and his people,
0:47:43 > 0:47:47and they're the culmination of important, indigenous developments
0:47:47 > 0:47:53over thousands of years throughout this part of the continent.
0:47:53 > 0:47:58The kingdoms of West Africa share many important aspects - pottery,
0:47:58 > 0:48:02ironwork, but also a history of telling their story through art.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06These things were, and always will be, truly African.
0:48:11 > 0:48:15Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:48:15 > 0:48:18E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk