An Ancient African Civilization existed in the Nri Kingdom of now Eastern part of Nigeria,

An Ancient African Civilization existed in the Nri Kingdom of now Eastern part of Nigeria,

An Ancient African Civilization existed in the Nri Kingdom of now Eastern part of Nigeria, Excavations in Igbo-Ukwu have found highly sophisticated bronze artifacts from the earliest known age of bronze casting , dating to the ninth or tenth century CE.

This Ancient civilization included bronze castings, made in stages using the lost wax technique, illustrate the artisans’ high level of skill and also a lost-wax casting technique in the process of duplicating metal sculpture ( silver, bronze or gold) from an original one.

The three sites were discovered from 1938-1959 and include Igbo Isaiah (a shrine), Igbo Richard (a burial chamber), and Igbo Jonah (a cache ).
In addition to the artifacts at Igbo-Ukwu, the Igbo people are known for hammered jewelry, masks, Mbari houses, and mud sculptures.

The first of the sites, Igbo Isaiah, is a shrine uncovered in 1938 by Isaiah Anozie, who stumbled upon the bronze works while digging beside his home. Subsequent excavations led by Thurston Shaw in 1959 resulted in the discovery of Igbo Richard, a burial chamber, and Igbo Jonah.

These artifacts are likely from the burial of a highly important person. They include ritual vessels , pendants, crowns and breastplates, jewelry, ceramics , copper and iron objects, and thousands of glass beads.

There is a controversy that Bronze casting first originate among the Nri (Igbo) people before the Mesopotamia people because Igbo Ukwu bronze Civilization date is unclear and suggested to be older.