The African queen

SOMETIMES the biggest things can be the hardest to find. How else do you explain the failure of generations of Nigerian and European archaeologists to spot Sungbo’s Eredo, the ramparts of a thousand-year-old kingdom not an hour’s drive from Lagos? They are very big: the earth wall and ditch are 160 kilometres long and in places tower seven storeys high, complete with guardhouses, moats and garrison barracks. They enclose an area the size of Greater London, or 30 times bigger than Manhattan. But it took a British geographer from the
University of Bournemouth to recognise their significance.

Patrick Darling stumbled upon Sungbo’s Eredo five years ago, when he stopped his car along the Pan African Highway in southern Nigeria and set off on foot into the undergrowth. What he found that day was the jewel in the African civil engineering crown....
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg16322035-100-the-african-queen/



''Over the last five years... a team of Nigerian and British archeologists and preservationists have succeeded in mapping the structure.... A carbon analysis of parts of the rampart showed that it dates from the 10th century and suggested that a highly organized kingdom existed in the rain forest at least three centuries earlier than previously believed.''
http://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/20/world/eredo-journal-a-wall-a-moat-behold-a-lost-yoruba-kingdom.html






Eredo: The Largest City in the Ancient World

by Robin Walker

..............................



On 23 May 1999, the Sunday Times (UK) carried an astonishing article entitled 'Jungle reveals traces of Sheba's fabled kingdom'. Over the next few days many other papers followed suit. Even the Daily Mail one day later asked "Was the Queen of Sheba really a Black woman from Nigeria?" As the evidence emerged, however, the queen of Sheba link proved to be hype. The real Sheba was an Ethiopian queen who lived three thousand years ago. What was undeniable, however, was that the southern Nigerian rainforests had an even more amazing secret to tell. The secret was this. During the Middle Ages, Africans built by far the largest city the world had ever seen. In size, this city dwarfed Baghdad, Cairo, Cordoba and Rome. The achievement was on a scale even bigger that that of the Great Pyramid of Giza, Africa's most celebrated monument.

At one time, scholars used to divide the three thousand-year history of southern Nigeria into four great cultural periods. They used to speak of the Nok Culture, the Igbo-Ukwu Culture, the Yoruba Kingdoms and the Benin Empire. This view was boldly challenged by the findings of a team of Bournemouth University scholars led by archaeologist Dr Patrick Darling. Since 1994, the team discovered and mapped the remains of yet another Nigerian kingdom, this time covered by centuries of forest overgrowth. Barnaby Phillips of the BBC described the discoveries as possibly "Africa's largest single monument." As we shall see, this is typical British understatement.

At Eredo, in south western Nigeria, Darling's team found a huge earthen wall with moated sections. This encircled an ancient kingdom or city. From the ditch to the summit of the rampart measured a towering 70 feet. According to Mark Macaskill of the Sunday Times, the rampart was "100 mile[s]" long and formed a rough circle, enclosing "more than 400 square miles." The building was on a truly epic scale. The builders shifted 3.5 million cubic metres of earth to build just the rampart alone. According to the BBC this is, incidentally, "one million cubic metres more than the amount of rock and earth used in the Great Pyramid at Giza." Therefore Eredo's construction is estimated to have "involved about one million more man-hours that were necessary to build the Great Pyramid." The ramparts may indicate the boundary of the original Ijebu kingdom that was ruled by a spiritual leader called the "Awujale". Macaskill, however, disagrees. He describes Eredo as a "city". If he is correct, this would make Eredo one of the very largest cities in all of human history. It was larger than modern London, and was definitely the largest city built in the ancient and mediaeval world.

...................................

Among the discoveries, a three-story ruin has been tentatively identified as the royal palace. It had living quarters, shrines and courtyards. It is possible that thousands of smaller buildings are still concealed by the forests. These will be mapped in time. Radiocarbon dating has so far established that the buildings and walls were more than 1,000 years old. Dates such as 800 AD have been given as a good ball-park figure.

People who live near the ruined kingdom or city today have traditions that a wealthy and childless queen, Bilikisu Sungbo, built the city. Some say that she built the city as a religious offering. It is also claimed that Sungbo's territory had a gold and ivory trade. Moreover, her royal household are said to have kept eunuchs. Portuguese documents dating back 500 years, allude to the power of an Ijebu kingdom that some scholars think is possibly this very one. Today, the ruins continue to be of great importance. There are yearly pilgrimages to Sungbo's grave.

Despite this great African achievement it is, however, disconcerting to note that racist theories are already being formulated about this kingdom. For example, Barnaby Phillips wrote that the building of Eredo was: "carried out by people who could not read or write, and with only the most basic of tools. Thousands of labourers - probably slaves - must have toiled in the thick rain forests and dark labyrinth swamps for years."

Naturally, he offers no evidence for the assertions of slavery and illiteracy. On the other hand, the evidence of iron smelting and the other highly advanced metallurgical activities for which the Nigerian civilisations were world leaders seems to disprove the notion that the builders had only basic tools at their disposal.

On a happy note, Dr Darling, the leader of the archaeological team, suggested that Eredo may well gain World Heritage Status. This will put the Eredo kingdom or city on an equal footing with other African marvels such as the Pyramids of Giza and the city of Djenné in Mali. It also places this great achievement on a footing with other great marvels from around the world such as Stonehenge.

http://www.blackhistorystudies.com/shop/the-great-mighty-wall/article-about-eredo/

2long

.

that's great from south west, if a record is to be kept from creation you will discover that we are all brothers in Nigeria. why the hatred.

Orjioorji:
that's great from south west, if a record is to be kept from creation you will discover that we are all brothers in Nigeria. why the hatred.

Ask them o..

Naso 1 mumu wey call himslf mango park say na him discover river niger , dat river wia our great grand father don dey fish b4 den born him mama.
I just pray Guinness recognise Dis city.

We failed our ancestors.

When did we become so backward?

Though already a world heritage https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sungbo%27s_Eredo

damola1:
We failed our ancestors.

When did we become so backward?

I ask myself the same thing every Friday...

damola1:
We failed our ancestors.

When did we become so backward?

When we stopped believing we could achieve great things. Colonialism destroyed our self-belief.

The Eredo earthworks could not be built today. We lack the self-esteem, organisation, unity, and long-term vision to even contemplate such an effort.

[size=18pt]Chest beaters!

As usual, making hilarious claims.

Why not the biggest man made object in the universe? [/size]

ChimaAdeoye:


[size=18pt]Chest beaters!

As usual, making hilarious claims.

Why not the biggest man made object in the universe?[/size]

I'm not from SW. Kindly take your ethnic nonsense to another place. As for ''hilarious claims'', I guess it would be 'hilarious' to someone who doesn't care to research his own history, despite the ease of doing so these days via Google.

lovely

If only this can be harness.
It will be of great importance to the country

If only this can be harness.
It will be of great importance to the country

Believe

You know. ......

Cool.

ifyan:
If only this can be harness.
It will be of great importance to the country

Believe

You know. ......

If it is harnessed, it would draw MILLIONS of tourists to Nigeria every year. Ogun state would make billions of dollars per annum. But their govt prefers to do nothing but collect their tiny federal allocation from Abuja to fight over.

Rossikk:


If it is harnessed, it would draw MILLIONS of tourists to Nigeria every year. Ogun state would make billions of dollars per annum. But their govt prefers to do nothing but collect their tiny federal allocation from Abuja to fight over.

Google earth tells me that thing is in Lagos state, though along Ijebu-Epe of Lagos.

I am not very surprised. I have always suspected that our amala-eating conehead compatriots are descendants of remarkable forbears. If you have lived among the coneheads you will know what am talking about. There is always this ancient depth and wisdom that underlies their culture and mannerism. Unfortunately, they have been corrupted by a sick Nigerian society and externally imposed religions (Christianity and Islam) -and now they have become the most conniving, cunning and manipulative political sector in the country. However, who can really blame them considering how frustrating/corrupt the Nigerian Zeitgist is. To be righteous in Nigeria is to be a fool. A real big fool.

When I visited South Africa 5 years ago, I met an old Zulu chief who told me the Zulu (his people) traded with ancient Yoruboid/Edoid tribes as far back 700 years before the Europeans came to the the Horn of Africa. Apparently (According to the chief) these conehead amala-eating muthafvckers and their Edo brothers build sea vessels that traveled from Western coast of Africa down to the shores of South Africa. I asked him how he knew they were Yorubas and he said all he knows is that those people came from the same place the present day South Westerners reside today - and the story has been passed on from generation to generation. He said grandfather visited Nigeria pre-independence and was able to swap stories or oral tradition of trade with some of the Egbas of the South West.

We Africans have lost our way. We have allowed the white man to tell us lies about our origin and our destiny. Findings like this should be used to enlighten our people (all over the world) to help us retrace back our steps so we can rule the world again. Who would have thought that the Jewel of the Middle Ages was built right here at home in Nigeria by descendants of our conehead conniving compatriots. Even though I am a tribalist - this is great news not only for Nigerians but Africans and blacks and all of humanity.

ChimaAdeoye:





[size=18pt]Chest beaters!

As usual, making hilarious claims.

Why not the biggest man made object in the universe? [/size]

Typical akpu-eating chestbeating flattheads. Its one thing to be a tribalist (like me - nobody gives the coneheads a harder time on NL), however to allow tribalism to cloud your judgement is an indication of poverty of mind and spirit. If you fail to recognize the strengths of your 'enemy' you will ALWAYS look up to him. I have told you flattheads that the coneheads are far superior to you when it comes to when it comes to issues of the mind and ability to think clearly. It doesn't mean I like them any more than I like you. I am a tribalist. I am suspicious of any and all tribes that aren't mine. But, I will be a fool to allow that to cloud my judgment of reality. This is the problem flattheads have and its the very thing, I believe, that will doom them in this country in the long run.

IamAtribalist:
I am not very surprised. I have always suspected that our amala-eating conehead compatriots are descendants of remarkable forbears. If you have lived among the coneheads you will know what am talking about. There is always this ancient depth and wisdom that underlies their culture and mannerism. Unfortunately, they have been corrupted by a sick Nigerian society and externally imposed religions (Christianity and Islam) -and now they have become the most conniving, cunning and manipulative political sector in the country. However, who can really blame them considering how frustrating/corrupt the Nigerian Zeitgist is. To be righteous in Nigeria is to be a fool. A real big fool.

When I visited South Africa 5 years ago, I met an old Zulu chief who told me the Zulu (his people) traded with ancient Yoruboid/Edoid tribes as far back 700 years before the Europeans came to the the Horn of Africa. Apparently (According to the chief) these [Yorubas] and their Edo brothers build sea vessels that traveled from Western coast of Africa down to the shores of South Africa. I asked him how he knew they were Yorubas and he said all he knows is that those people came from the same place the present day South Westerners reside today - and the story has been passed on from generation to generation. He said grandfather visited Nigeria pre-independence and was able to swap stories or oral tradition of trade with some of the Egbas of the South West.

We Africans have lost our way. We have allowed the white man to tell us lies about our origin and our destiny. Findings like this should be used to enlighten our people (all over the world) to help us retrace back our steps so we can rule the world again. Who would have thought that the Jewel of the Middle Ages was built right here at home in Nigeria by descendants of our [SW] compatriots. Even though I am a tribalist - this is great news not only for Nigerians but Africans and blacks and all of humanity.

Very interesting indeed. In fact it's wonderful and exhilarating to read this. Thanks for sharing. Tragically, today we IMPORT from Europe ships that can sail to South Africa, even though our ancestors built them thousands of years ago.

It won't surprise me if our ancestors built flying vessels in distant antiquity - something we ascribe today to white folk.


3,000 year old artefact from Egypt showing what look like flying craft

I will always say and belive in this, The yoruba civilization may have been started by ancient astronauts(aliens) which they decended from the sky to teach or share with our ansestors valuable tech and dimentional understanding(ifaology), the story of oduduwa decending from the sky may have been alien landings, sango's axe may have been some kind of advance weapon that produces lightning and list goes on...

Wow, 160km. That is longer than Lagos - Ibadan expressway . Imagine a virgin rain forest longer than Lagos-Ibadan expressway, that is a sure badass revenue prospect for the government if properly harnessed. Ministry of tourism need to clean it up an make it accessible, provide security, get UNESCO world heritage site approval, give it more publicity locally and internationally. What an heritage.

I will be back, preparing for work now.

is dis suppose to be a tourist attraction or wat

PaulJohn1:


Google earth tells me that thing is in Lagos state, though along Ijebu-Epe of Lagos.

....Yes...Eredo is in Epe Lagos state,besides I know the place...... Kinda scary

Our govt. need to spend more money to preserve and maintain our history, else others will tell it for us in a way that'll ruin us.... Damola , c. 2015.

I really hope work can be done on this. I am avery hugeee fan Of history especially african history, then of course the tourism potentials too

damola1:
We failed our ancestors.

When did we become so backward?

This is so poignant.
They must be somersaulting in their graves. All our major constructions now are being done by the white man whereas our ancestors achieved feats that is baffling to this same whites.
@Rossikk, thanks for sharing.

Orjioorji:
that's great from south west, if a record is to be kept from creation you will discover that we are all brothers in Nigeria. why the hatred.

so true

Beautiful.

Unfortunately, the Nigerian government is not into the business of archaeology unless it involves crude oil

hahn:
Beautiful.

Unfortunately, the Nigerian government is not into the business of archaeology unless it involves crude oil

I suspect that the foreign religious influence plays a part in their limited interest in these ancient achievements. They've been conditioned to regard their ancestors as 'heathen', ie unchristian/unislamic etc. So they may regard the highlighting of these works as 'sinful'. The other day we saw Jonathan and his entourage on pilgrimage to Israel and worshiping cap in hand at the wall of Jerusalem. That's where their minds are, not in Eredo.

Rossikk:
Foreign religious influence plays a part in their limited interest in these ancient achievements. They've been conditioned to regard their ancestors as 'heathen', ie unchristian/unislamic etc. So they may regard the highlighting of these works as 'sinful'.

Fixed