Ibeanu, A. M.
Department of Archaeology and Tourism,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
and
Gershom D. Dalat
Department of History,
Nasarawa State, University, Keffi

Introduction
Pottery has been used by archaeologists to denote the human technological transition from
hunter gatherers to intensive food collecting and domestication of plants and animals. In
some archaeological sites, this technological transition may show evidence of both late Stone
Age materials plus pottery in one stratigraphic level and in some, only pottery without
polished stone artifacts. This phenomenon could be described as marking intermittent
sedentism to permanent settlement by man (Andah et al, 1980; Shaw & Daniels 1984; Fagg
1972; Scarre 2005). For example, at Iwo Elerro cave in Nigeria rainforest, pottery was found
in association with ground stone axes which may not always be indicative of farming. Also in
Shum Laka, a rockshelter in montane grass fields of southern Cameroon, the site had
microlithic quartz industry and evidence of discontinuous occupation with pottery appearing
before 2000BC associated with partly polished flake hoe like stone artifact (Scarre 2005).
The evidence of many burials in this site with date of 6000BC is suggestive that the
occupants were intermittently sedentary. In Jos Plateau Nigeria, the Rop rockshelter had
yielded a date of 4,000BC for early pottery in Nigeria. While excavation at Ukpa Rockshelter
in Afikpo (Andah et al 1980) identified two cultural sequence of aceramic and ceramic levels.
This study of pottery production was informed by the copious potsherds collected from
abandoned sites, caves/rock shelters during our archaeological survey of Eggon hill
settlements. The study focused on decorative motifs, various processes of pottery
manufacture, usage, discard and reuse with the hope of throwing more light on our
understanding and interpretation of human adaptations, settlement and migrations in the area.
In studying pottery, one has to be aware of how pottery is produced today and know
how different types are used in order to properly situate, appreciate and understand pottery
recovered from archaeological context (Ogundele 2002).
Our research objectives are as follows:
• To document the pottery traditions of Eggon people.
• To study the pottery processes in their socio-cultural context.
• To see if there is relationships between the extant pottery tradition with potsherds
collected from archaeological sites in parts of Eggon land and
• To observe if any change(s) in the pottery tradition.