A metal bowl tells tales of early globalisation

The original of the metal bowl was found in a burial mound within a burial site in present-day northern Nigeria. In 1992, three burial mounds were excavated as part of a research project by the University of Bayreuth.

The burial site in northern Nigeria consists of eight burial mounds. The examined tombs were presumably all established in the course of the 14th century, when the first city-states developed in the region prior to the adoption of Islam.

The discoveries from all three burial mounds were so unexpectedly rich that the interments were stored in the museum of Jos in Central Nigeria for later analysis.

In order to be able to disassemble the finds with due diligence and without time pressure, they were excavated as a block along with the surrounding soil, fixed with plaster bandages and transported to the laboratory.

The X-ray image showed that the bowl contained several objects: two earrings, a solid finger ring and a pendant – all made of gold. In addition, the bowl also contained a mother-of-pearl bead bracelet.

Using a sharp scalpel, the metal bowl’s surface was carefully exposed mechanically, one centimetre at a time. The work took several months and revealed that the bowl had once been highly polished but was now badly damaged on one side. Moreover, precise information could be obtained regarding the manufacturing process by means of press forming (shaping with a pressing device).

After the removal of the soil, the bowl was studied further. Metal analyses revealed that the original was made of brass. The lead isotope analysis points toward a source of the raw materials in modern-day Iran. Finally, the bowl was documented photographically, graphically and digitally.

With its inscription, the Mamluk metal bowl is among the earliest evidence of Arabic writing in northern Nigeria. The Arabic inscription can be seen in the respective areas between the ornamental medallions and fields.

Following the scientific analysis, documentation and restoration, the original bowl was returned to Nigeria in 2014 to be put on display in the museum of the Nigerian Nation Commission for Museums and Monuments in Katsina. The copy and the careful documentation continue to be available for further scientific processing in Mainz.

The metal bowl symbolises the expansion of the Islamic-Arabic world trade in northern Nigeria in the 14th century. During this period, the trade networks of the Islamic region extended from the North to beyond the Sahara and included West Africa in the early globalisation. This resulted in intense contacts between West and North Africa, the development of large city-states, Islamisation and the slave trade. About 50 years after the Mamluk bowl was added to the tomb, North African trading colonies in West Africa were first mentioned in written documents.

The local centres were increasingly caught up in the flow of early globalisation. The powerful Hausa city-states emerged that were later described in detail by travellers.
The economy flourished: Goods and raw materials from the Mediterranean and Europe as well as from Western Asia were transported south along caravan routes and exchanged for local products, such as ivory, leather and slaves.

The burial site was established with the development of the core settlements of the Hausa city-states. These became the centres of northern Nigeria that still exist today. The most well-known city is Kano, which now boasts a population of 7 million and an international airport.

Luxury goods in exchange for ivory and slaves: The Mamluk bowl from the 14th century not only stands for the emergence of a thriving economy but also for a problematic chapter in the history of Africa, the Islamic-Arabic slave trade.

But archaeology can also contribute to national heritage protection – particularly in regions with a latent vulnerability. The current situation in Nigeria, but also in other regions of West Africa or the Middle East, shows the pressing need for national heritage protection. Archaeological sites and finds are threatened by grave robberies that often accompany a reign of terror partly financed by the international art trade. By documenting and copying significant finds, archaeologists can preserve valuable information about these cultural artefacts for posterity – even in the event of their loss.

The museum’s tasks involve to research archaeological finds, to use them to trace the pattern of human activity back to the beginnings of mankind and to incorporate the results into current discussions. In doing so, it attempts to identify recurrent, apparently universal human behaviour patterns or sets of rules that strengthen or weaken the cohesion of societies or bring about change.

The Laboratory for Experimental Archaeology (LEA) reconstructs, tests and documents old production methods and object uses. For example, it studied the work processes of the potteries in Mayen, which were of national significance during the Roman and medieval period. The research of the LEA is particularly crucial to answering questions relating to technological and economic history.

The Volcano Park Osteifel elaborates on the region’s natural, technological, economic and settlement history. In partnership with the Mayen-Koblenz district, the museum’s “volcanology, archaeology and history of technology” department (VAT) presents its research results here. 18 historical sites and 5 museums and information centres illustrate volcanic processes, human activity in the landscape – for example, in quarries and mines – and the development of an industrial landscape.

In Monrepos near Neuwied, the new permanent exhibition “Human Understanding” examines the fundamental issue, “Why we are the way we are” – for example, curious or sociable. It reflects the work of the research field “Becoming human.” It examines how, during the course of our history, a universal canon of behaviour has developed. Archaeological research content leads to reflection on what it entails to be human.

Ancient seafaring is displayed in a converted locomotive hall not far from the Roman theatre in the southern part of Mainz. One of the highlights is the Roman fleet on the Rhine, but the museum also provides a great deal of information about shipbuilding and the organisation of military and civil shipping in both inland and maritime traffic.