Papers by Olanrewaju Lasisi
By Gerard Chouin & Olanrewaju Lasisi, 2019
Why were captives for sale in the Gulf of Benin in the late 1470s? In this paper, we explore chan... more Why were captives for sale in the Gulf of Benin in the late 1470s? In this paper, we explore changes in the Ijebu and Benin polities before the opening of the Atlantic trade and their consequences in shaping the new trade in slaves in the late 15th and early 16th century. My departure point is the recent dating of the 165-km-long enclosure known as Sungbo’s Eredo in southwestern Nigeria. Based on emerging archaeological data, difficult-to-assess Ijebu oral traditions of the deep past, and scarce early European sources, we propose a scenario of change in the political economy of African polities in the Gulf of Benin during the mid-14th century. A demographic crisis, we suggest, triggered competition among regional polities for the control of people. The necessity to defend the local population and raids into neighboring areas led to radical change in the polities’ organization and to a transformation of the landscape. Kingship was adopted in Ijebu, while a new dynasty took over power in Benin. Both new ruling dynasties were possibly foreign warrior aristocracies that based their spiritual powers in imported cults. The new political economy became dominated by the accumulation and consumption of dependents through raids and wars of expansion. By the time the Portuguese arrived in the Gulf of Benin in 1472, they found ready surpluses of captives that could be exchanged for exotic prestige goods brought by the Europeans, especially copper and brass. This situation contrasted markedly with the demand for captives the Portuguese had met on the Gold Coast. They were able to take advantage of their understanding of these contrasting markets to purchase captives in the Gulf of Benin for resale on the Gold Coast.
International Journal of African Historical Studies. Vol. 54, No. 1, 2021
This research was carried out in the ancient palace of Ijebu-Ode, the capital of the Ijebu kingdo... more This research was carried out in the ancient palace of Ijebu-Ode, the capital of the Ijebu kingdom. Over 20 units (ranging in size from 1m x 1m to 20m x 15m) were excavated from the King's quarters, Queen's quarters, Palace gardens, and courtyards. This series of excavations yielded a diverse range of artifacts including, beads, bronze bell anklets, knife blades, etc. A notable find is the first evidence of ceramic pavements in the Ijebu kingdom. Team members unearthed two pavements at the palace complex; one is a carved pavement that is an effigy of a local deity, the other is a geometric pavement with astronomical alignments. This research showed that behind the organization of the palace complex lies a well-designed and integrated architecture, ritual/religion, astronomy, politics, governance, and commerce, all of which functioned as a system that sustained the Ijebu Kingdom.
Academia Letters, 2021
This paper raises other issues amidst the concerns of scholars concerning the repatriation of nat... more This paper raises other issues amidst the concerns of scholars concerning the repatriation of native artifacts. In what I term “Nigerian Chaos,” this paper informs scholars on the dysfunctional state of public institutions in Nigeria and it’s effects on the repatriated artifacts. Thus, if artifacts must be returned to the Nigerian museums, these receiving museums must be devoid of the Nigerian Chaos.
West African Journal Of Archaeology , Jul 1, 2019
Nigerian archaeology has been through a series of developmental stages. The current trend in the ... more Nigerian archaeology has been through a series of developmental stages. The current trend in the studies of urbanization takes a cue from postcolonial pedagogy, which seeks to interpret indigenous material cultures from the eye view of their makers. This echoes a localized model of urbanization. Methods and paradigms for urbanism expand, and indigenous archaeologists have their voices heard without the outside veil. Despite these advances in methods and approaches, little is being explored in the direction of earthworks and earthwork studies to corroborate research on urbanization and state consolidation. This article turns the light on this avenue and suggests that more earthen works should be investigated if unanswered questions in urban studies must be answered.
DeCorse, C. (ed.) Power, Political Economy, and Historical Landscapes of the Modern World Interdisciplinary Perspectives. SUNY Series, Fernand Braudel Center Studies in Historical Social Science. ISBN13: 978-1-4384-7343-7, 2019
Why were captives for sale in the Gulf of Benin in the late 1470s? In this paper, I explore chang... more Why were captives for sale in the Gulf of Benin in the late 1470s? In this paper, I explore changes in the Ijebu and Benin polities before the opening of the Atlantic trade and their consequences in shaping the new trade in slaves in the late 15th and early 16th century. My departure point is the recent dating of the 165-km-long enclosure known as Sungbo’s Eredo in southwestern Nigeria. Based on emerging archaeological data, difficult-to-assess Ijebu oral traditions of the deep past, and scarce early European sources, I propose a scenario of change in the political economy of African polities in the Gulf of Benin during the mid-14th century. A demographic crisis, I suggest, triggered competition among regional polities for the control of people. The necessity to defend the local population and raids into neighboring areas led to radical change in the polities’ organization and to a transformation of the landscape. Kingship was adopted in Ijebu, while a new dynasty took over power in Benin. Both new ruling dynasties were possibly foreign warrior aristocracies that based their spiritual powers in imported cults. The new political economy became dominated by the accumulation and consumption of dependents through raids and wars of expansion. By the time the Portuguese arrived in the Gulf of Benin in 1472, they found ready surpluses of captives that could be exchanged for exotic prestige goods brought by the Europeans, especially copper and brass. This situation contrasted markedly with the demand for captives the Portuguese had met on the Gold Coast. They were able to take advantage of their understanding of these contrasting markets to purchase captives in the Gulf of Benin for resale on the Gold Coast.
Earlier studies carried out on Sungbo’s Eredo (embankment) showed that it is about 165 km in circ... more Earlier studies carried out on Sungbo’s Eredo (embankment) showed that it is about 165 km in circumference and surrounds the whole of Ijebu Kingdom. From the date obtained by Aremu et al. (2013: 17), the structure is thought to have been built around 5000 years ago. However, it is possible that the site was also occupied during the medieval period, as evidenced in the remains around the sacred grove. This paper reports on a GPS survey of the site and excavations carried out during 2014 fieldwork archaeology intended to confirm or refute the dates previously obtained from the embankment. It examines the cultural materials recovered from the excavation, including Late Stone Age materials and those of the Neolithic period. Analysis of the Neolithic and Late Stone Age materials suggests that the site may be of greater antiquity than earlier reported and that this forest zone of West Africa was occupied at different time periods.
Archaeological excavation was carried out at Olukutan palace with three pits excavated. One at th... more Archaeological excavation was carried out at Olukutan palace with three pits excavated. One at the courtyard, the other two from behind the courtyard with one close to the building extension for which past kings were buried and the last pit at the fringe of the palace compound thought to be a refuse dump. The intra-site patterning of the artifacts subjected to a comparative analysis with present day materials helps to tell of the existence or the inexistence of relationships. The finds from the three pits show the occupational loci of activities in the palace through historic times. Apparently, the conceptual discrepancy that exists on the migration and settlement patterns, war history, Diasporas’ identity and their long contested Origin of the Owu can be understood vis-á-vis the finds from other Owu sites.
Conference Presentations by Olanrewaju Lasisi
ASWAD. Michael Blakey, Olanrewaju Lasisi, Jessica Bittner , 2019
New York City’s African Burial Ground and archaeological site prevailed by years of protest and p... more New York City’s African Burial Ground and archaeological site prevailed by years of protest and political struggle to produce a U.S. National Monument, newly ethical bioarchaeological practice and sophisticated reports and exhibitions on the origins, physical quality of life, transformations and resistance of Africans enslaved in 18th century New York. New means of managing the delicate balance of sacred ground with the restoration of memory were forged in examinations of the most fundamental remains of African New Yorkers: those of 419 bodies, interpreted in interdisciplinary conversation. We report on some of our latest findings on women’s labor and the ‘Sankofa’ symbol, and their significance for anthropology, historiography, and Africana Studies. We report on the continuing challenges of whiteness as scholarly narratives which exceed their available evidence in an apparent effort to contain our analyses of the past and reify white authority in the present.
Ife is an exception in the historiography of West Africa, with an extensive and detailed socio-po... more Ife is an exception in the historiography of West Africa, with an extensive and detailed socio-political history during the first half of the second millennium CE. This rich historiography is based on three categories of sources: the archaeological record; an outstanding selection of the material record of ancient Ife usually referred to as 'art'; and a large corpus of oral traditions. In this paper, we reflect on the stratigraphy of Ile-Ife and what it tells us about the long-term history of the city. Our data derives from archaeological work conducted in 2015 and 2016 on one of Ife's defensive ditch-and-bank systems at the site of Ita Yemoo. We identified three main levels. The oldest level belongs to the 12th and 13th c. CE, while the most recent belongs to the post mid-19th c. era. In between, a thick layer of rich, dark soil including charcoals and evidence of burnt wood may correspond to a layer of destruction and abandonment, followed by colonization by woody plants. In many ways, the stratigraphy of Ita Yemoo appears comparable to that of other excavated sites at Ife and suggests a long period of abandonment of the city at the end of its classical/florescent period. This contrasts with the previously dominant narratives about continuity in Ife.
Teaching Documents by Olanrewaju Lasisi
Offered through the UVA School of Architecture, "Cities of the Sky" is an interdisciplinary semin... more Offered through the UVA School of Architecture, "Cities of the Sky" is an interdisciplinary seminar designed for students interested in architecture, archaeology, anthropology, mythology, urban studies, and astronomy. The course bridges these disciplines to explore the symbiotic relationship between celestial phenomena and terrestrial architecture. It delves into how ancient civilizations looked to the skies for architectural and urban inspiration. Through case studies spanning multiple continents and sites from the pyramids of Egypt to Mayan observatories-the course examines 'celestial cities,' or structures and urban layouts aligned with celestial bodies and events. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how celestial observations have influenced not just religious and cultural narratives but also practical aspects of human life, such as agriculture, timekeeping, urban planning, and the broader built environment. Structured around thematic weeks, the course adopts the concept of "Cosmo-architecture," to encapsulate architectural manifestations influenced by celestial and cosmological beliefs. Students will engage with a rich array of scholarly articles, book chapters, short films, and case studies. The seminar poses the question: How can architectural histories be situated within the expansive canvas of the cosmos? Through in-depth discussions, and a final project, students will gain a multi-dimensional understanding of the symbiotic relationship between earthly architecture and cosmic order. The course challenges students to think beyond conventional architectural studies and to consider the sky both as a limit and as a canvas for human imagination and ingenuity.
This course is an overview and introduction to Native American Studies, from an anthropological p... more This course is an overview and introduction to Native American Studies, from an anthropological point of view. Native American Studies has come to include the archaeology, history, arts, languages, literature, economics, politics, and many other aspects of Native American life and culture, past and present. Native Americans themselves as well as non-Natives contribute to this research, all of which is marked by controversy and debate. We will approach this growing field by touching on a number of topics of particular interest to contemporary scholars, and students will be asked to explore the issues and report on them to the class.
The idea of race emerged as a biological concept during the European Enlightenment. The earlier ... more The idea of race emerged as a biological concept during the European Enlightenment. The earlier cultural and religious distinctions drawn among human groups were increasingly substituted or elaborated by ‘race’. Western notions of science came to legitimate a natural hierarchy within the context of colonial, slave holding and later industrial capitalist societies whose elites benefited from the idea that the inhumanity of their privilege was natural. An ideology of white supremacy emerged simultaneously from science and society, relative to which racial identities were constructed and historically transformed. Racial ideas have infused many American institutions and their pervasiveness accounts for their paradigmatic power. The history of biological anthropology is packed with reflections of broadly believed racial ideas. These ideas’ transformations can be seen in evolving theories meant to explain the relationship between human behavior and biology. This course examines those ideas in biological anthropology and related fields. Students discover aspects of race and racism in past and present society that often go unrecognized. They equally develop an appreciation of ways in which culture can systematically influence scientific thought, raising a more general critique of the scientific way of knowing than is limited to the example of race. Problems and prospects for theories of the interactions between human biology and behavior are considered.
This course will introduce students to the basic concepts anthropologists use to describe human i... more This course will introduce students to the basic concepts anthropologists use to describe human interactions. We will acquire a vocabulary of terms, a sense of the history of the discipline and a chance to debate specific points of view proposed by the discipline. The relevance of anthropological systems approach to current events is a central challenge of the course. The instructor is committed to helping students formulate and express their own views and to consider what kinds of possibilities for involvement and responsibilities might be associated with their viewpoint.
This course aims to demonstrate what it means to apply anthropological perspectives to some press... more This course aims to demonstrate what it means to apply anthropological perspectives to some pressing contemporary problems, both globally and in the U.S. context. Instructors' hope is that students emerge from this course with a richer understanding of these problems, a solid overview of anthropology as an academic discipline, and the ability to apply anthropological perspectives to the problems that you encounter beyond this course in a thoughtful way.
Books and Monographs by Olanrewaju Lasisi
Power, Political Economy, and Historical Landscapes of the Modern World, 2019
This volume draws together scholars from varied disciplines to examine the historical encounters,... more This volume draws together scholars from varied disciplines to examine the historical encounters, cultural entanglements, and local conditions that shaped the modern world. Research has well demonstrated the extent and complexity of the varied local economic and political systems, and diverse social formations that predated European contact. These preexisting systems confronted the expanding European economy and, in doing so, shaped its emergence. The case studies presented in this volume seek to understand how the intersections of these different regional systems formed unique historical and geographical complexes that structured European-indigene interactions, economic relations, and their materialities. Moving beyond the confines of national or Atlantic histories to examine regional systems and their historical trajectories on a global scale, the studies draw examples from the Caribbean, Mesoamerica, North America, South America, Africa, and South Asia. Collectively they ask how did the diverse political economies of the early modern world collide, mesh, and merge, and to what effect on the engaged populations in different world areas? The studies examine how the new economic, social, and cultural relations of the modern world, nascent European colonialism, and the Atlantic slave trade are revealed in landscapes, settlements, plantations, dwellings, and archaeological assemblages. How and why did these landscapes differ in their expression and in their temporalities? The chapters are by researchers who share an interest in the emergence and interconnections of the modern world, and the utility of interdisciplinary vantage. While the contributions are rooted in substantive studies from different world areas, their overarching aim is to negotiate between global and local frames, to reveal how the expanding world-system entwined the non-Western world in global economies, yet did so in ways that were locally articulated, varied, and often non-European in their expression.
Book Reviews by Olanrewaju Lasisi
African Archaeology Review, Apr 16, 2021
Akinwumi Ogundiran: The Yorùbá: A New History
Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 2020, 562 p... more Akinwumi Ogundiran: The Yorùbá: A New History
Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 2020, 562 pp., ISBN 978-0253051493
Lasisi, O. Akinwumi Ogundiran: The Yorùbá: A New History. Afr Archaeol Rev (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10437-021-09436-8
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Papers by Olanrewaju Lasisi
Conference Presentations by Olanrewaju Lasisi
Teaching Documents by Olanrewaju Lasisi
Books and Monographs by Olanrewaju Lasisi
Book Reviews by Olanrewaju Lasisi
Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 2020, 562 pp., ISBN 978-0253051493
Lasisi, O. Akinwumi Ogundiran: The Yorùbá: A New History. Afr Archaeol Rev (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10437-021-09436-8
Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 2020, 562 pp., ISBN 978-0253051493
Lasisi, O. Akinwumi Ogundiran: The Yorùbá: A New History. Afr Archaeol Rev (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10437-021-09436-8