Introduction

Many complex societies have existed in West Africa. We usually learn that Ghana and Mali were the first. They did not exist until about 1,000 years ago. However, farming began in West Africa much earlier. It may have started as early as 4,000 years ago. Before that time, people lived in the Sahara. Today, the Sahara is a desert. Back then, it was a grassland. People herded cattle and ate wild grasses. Later, these people moved into river valleys. They began to grow crops so they would have enough to eat. Foods like millet and barley were grown. Cattle were raised. By 2000 BCE, these foods helped support large populations.

What if Ghana and Mali were the first complex societies here? That would create a puzzle for scientists. It would mean farming began long before any kind of society. This seems unlikely. Unfortunately, we do not have many written records of this time. We do have some physical evidence, though. It tells us quite a bit about early African societies. One of these was the Nok. It was located in the northern part of what is now Nigeria.

Iron, terracotta, and Nok

Bernard Fagg was a scientist. He was working in Nigeria when he made an important discovery. He found hundreds of clay sculptures. They were human figures with long heads. Many of the figures showed common experiences such as love and war. There was also quite a lot of jewelry.

Then Fagg discovered something else. It was something he had not expected to find. There were iron furnaces. At that time, scientists thought that the technology to make iron had only been invented once. They believed that iron was first made in Eurasia. Fagg studied the charcoal inside the furnaces. He was able to date it as far back as 280 BCE. Later, scientists dated some of it to an even earlier period. The people of Nok may have developed iron technology all on their own.

Nok society

Nok society was not built around cities. Instead, people tended to live in lots of settlements. Each settlement probably had its own farm. Women likely did the work of turning crops into food. Men were probably the ones who made iron.

Scientists have also found other important sites. They seem to have been used for religious ceremonies. These sites are almost always far away from settlements. It is possible that different groups met there. They may have shared these sites for worship. These sites may have also played a role in government. However, there is no evidence of kings or palaces in Nok.

Conclusions

We do not know what happened to the Nok. Their clay style seems to have died out about 1,900 years ago. The Nok may be the ancestors of the Yoruba. They are a modern culture in Nigeria.

The Nok were one of many early societies in this region. However, we know little about them. These societies may have traded with each other. We do not have much evidence to prove it, though. Still, we are constantly learning more about this time in African history. There were many early societies here. They were similar to other farming cultures around the world.