A Contribution to Heritage and Islamic Archaeology of Bauchi Region, Northern Nigeria

Abubakar Sule Sani

Department of Archaeology

Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria

Email: [email protected]

Abstract

This paper attempts to appraise the influence of Islam and related thematic factors on socio-political developments in Bauchi region in the last 1500 years. It considered archaeological evidence from excavations of some sites from southern Bauchi area. Oral traditional sources were also used in the paper. Socio-political developments in the Bauchi region are highlighted by long distance trade, slave trade and other specialised processes of craft production. Islam would appear to have inspired the alteration of existing local political systems by the realignment of Islam into the mainstay socio-political structure of Kasar Bauchi; especially, in the early part of the 19^th century after the Sokoto jihad ran by Uthman ibn Fodio. In addition, cultural developments in the region were also facilitated by population movements from Bornu, Kwararafa and other Hausa states. There is need for more studies by anthropologists and archaeologists interested in the influence of Islam on African societies in the last millennium. The work concludes that complementary use of sources such as archaeology and oral histories are vital to a better understanding of cultural developments in the region and beyond.

Keywords

Bauchi, jihad, oral traditions, archaeology, socio-political development