The Archaeological Landscape of Bara, Near Oyo-Ile

Akinwumi Ogundiran¹, Macham Mangut², and Olusegun Moyib³

1. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA
2. University of Jos, Nigeria
3. University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Corresponding Author: [email protected]

Abstract

Located about 1.2 km northeast of Oyo-Ile is the site that is widely believed to have served as the burial ground for the kings of Oyo between ca. 1620 and 1837. Known as Bara, the site eluded the search of many archaeologists for many years, until now. We identified the site in 2017 with the help of local informants and have since begun its systematic archaeological survey. In this paper, we discuss the landscape approaches that we have used to understand the archaeological resources of Bara. Our study has revealed that the site was more than a burial ground for the deceased Oyo kings. It was also a thriving settlement of about 6.6 km in circumference with residential and farming components, among others. We also report the archaeological features that characterize the settlement, and provide the first comprehensive layout of the site. In addition, we address the fact that Bara is at the risk of losing its archaeological integrity due to the effects of farming and cattle herding activities. The current study offers immense promise for further studies. We propose that Bara holds an important key for understanding the political, social, and political economic processes that shaped the development of Oyo Empire. Further research promises to confirm this proposition.