Introduction

We usually learn that Ghana and Mali were the first complex societies in West Africa. These empires did not exist until after the 900s. However, farming emerged in West Africa much earlier. Scientists believe people were farming here as early as 4,000 years ago. Before that time, people lived in the Sahara. Today the Sahara is a desert, but back then it was a grassland. People herded cattle and ate wild grasses. As the world began to dry, these people moved into river valleys. They began to grow crops so they would have enough food 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 in West Africa? That would create a puzzle for scientists. It would mean that 3,000 years passed between the beginning of farming and the growth of any kind of state. This seems unlikely. Unfortunately, we don’t have many written records about this part of Africa before the 900s. There are many reasons for this. First, this region suffered a great deal of conflict in later years. That may have destroyed some records. Second, this is a region where history was often kept through oral tradition. People remembered the past through spoken words rather than writing.

Nevertheless, we do have evidence from the past such as physical remains. They tell us quite a bit about early African societies. One of these societies was Nok, 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 first found hundreds of clay sculptures. These sculptures of brownish-red pottery all had a similar style. There were human figures with long heads and elaborate hairstyles. The styles were somewhat similar to those worn by some Nigerians today. 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, something he had not expected. There were iron furnaces. At that time, scientists believed that the technology to make iron had only been invented once, in Eurasia. They believed that iron technology did not spread to Africa until much later. 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. There were many furnaces, suggesting a large population. 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, and most of the work would have been agricultural. Women likely did most of the work in turning crops into food. Scientists believe that men were the ones who worked with iron.

Scientists have also found sites that seem to have been used for religious ceremonies. Some sites were located around one large sculpture. It may have been a marker or a shrine. Sometimes, there are five or six similar sculptures. These sites are almost always far away from settlements. It’s possible that different groups shared these sites for worship. The sites may also have played a role in government. People might have met there to make agreements or hear disputes. However, there is no evidence that the Nok had kings or palaces.

Conclusions

We do not know what happened to the Nok. Their clay style seems to have died out somewhere around 100 CE. The Nok may be the ancestors of the modern Yoruba culture of Nigeria.

The Nok were one of many early societies that lived in this region. However, we know little about them. These societies may have traded with each other, but we don’t have much evidence to prove it. We are constantly learning more about this period in African history, though. We are finding out that there were many early societies. They were similar to other farming cultures around the world.