Imprints of the Archaeology of Northern Nigeria: Landscape, society and crafts around Kirfi, Bauchi region

Abubakar Sule Sani’s pioneering book combines archaeological, ethnographic and historical data to construct a compelling narrative about the people of the Bauchi region in northern Nigeria. It deploys a social theory of frontier to understand how Borno and other Hausa states impacted on the development of cultural process that have evolved to dominate across the Savannah region over the past 1,500 years. The research presents a cultural typology from pottery to explain social connections in the past, which will be of interest not only for archaeologists, but also for art historians and anthropologists. It evaluates the impact of Islam and the 19th century Jihad of Uthman Ibn Fodio on settlement patterns and the operation of political systems across prominent Sahel and Savannah states in the past. Sani’s book therefore contributes to the understanding of the peoples of Bauchi hitherto unknown archaeologically, arguing that the combined use of oral and material sources is important for identifying cultural developments in most African societies where past written data are deficient.