Did you know that the area known today as Ijebu-Ode was once home to the largest metropolis on the face of the Earth?

It was bigger than Rome. Bigger than ANY city on Earth.

It also had the largest man-made structure on the Earth, the Eredo Earthworks.

Happy learning.


Eredo: The Largest City in the Ancient World

Eredo Earthworks, Ijebu-Ode, Nigeria


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. It also places this great achievement on a footing with other great marvels from around the world such as Stonehenge.

https://blackhistorystudies.com/shops/the-great-mighty-wall/eredo-the-largest-city-in-the-ancient-world/

https://www.amplifyafrica.org/post/eredo-the-ancient-lost-city

I once know it for being the largest exporter of skulls.

Interesting, I hope we can find concrete evidence to support this discovery.

Really? I noticed how you consciously forgot to add the brown roofs


Ijebu Ode and brown roofs are like...

Somebody help with that Zuma photo

OKPANAMboy:
I once know it for being the largest exporter of skulls.

Ok.

Myth and Fable bladderdash.

Studies are showing that the Queen of Sheba reference may actually be valid. The Eredo monument is reported by some scholars to be much older than 1,000 years, with some claiming it is over 5,000 years old, which would place it firmly in the time of the 'Queen of Sheba'.
.
.
.
New Lights on the Archaeology of Sungbo Eredo, South-Western Nigeria

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.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335013603_New_Lights_on_the_Archaeology_of_Sungbo_Eredo_South-Western_Nigeria

Fables

PeaceforNigeria:
Fables

What ''fables'', you air head?

Stupid relics

OKPANAMboy:
I once know it for being the largest exporter of skulls.

Can you also tell largest exported of pounded live babies?

Proudly ijebu boy...

illicit:
Stupid relics

The British don't refer to their far less impressive Stonehenge ruins as ''stupid relics''.

They've turned the ruins into a tourist magnet bringing in countless hundreds of millions of pounds annually.

You need to change your mentality.

Rossiminku:


The British don't refer to their far less impressive Stonehenge ruins as ''stupid relics''.

They've turned the ruins into a tourist magnet bringing in countless hundreds of millions of pounds annually.

You need to change your mentality.

This one can only attract ritualists

illicit:



This one can only attract ritualists

You are conditioned to self-hate, and to despise your African heritage. 

That is your problem - a miseducated negro.

This Ipigs and afonja fight is never going to end anytime soon ...

Rossiminku:


You are conditioned to self-hate, and to despise your African heritage. 

That is your problem - a miseducated negro.

Our heritage sucks bro

Slavery, ritual killings, if we continued like that we would have self destruct

U will be surprised that this ur eredo is a mere temple to kill people or castrate them for no fvckng reason

We didn't even cross the Atlantic,

We only crossed the Sahara as slaves not as masters damn

wizzakosh:


Can you also tell largest exported of pounded live babies?

Shame, you kids wont even take time to learn history. Everything na cruise, tueh!

Unfortunately there's no history curriculum

illicit:


Our heritage sucks bro

Slavery, ritual killings, if we continued like that we would have self destruct

U will be surprised that this ur eredo is a mere temple to kill people or castrate them for no fvckng reason

We didn't even cross the Atlantic,

We only crossed the Sahara as slaves not as masters damn

Your heritage sucks? Omo! This one buff oh. I still wonder the kind of minds we have in black Africa. Slavery, ritual killings are only synonymous to Africa se? I'm sorry to inform you oh you're not bright. Why did the English come to Africa in the first place? To educate and preach peace and religion abi? So who threw our ancestors into ships to be used as slaves on sugarcane plantations across the world? Who thought us to kneel and pray to idols? Did you read about the English and Ijebu ode war? Did you know your ancestors were already trading along the coastal lanes with the Europeans before the English invasion? Ode, you believe Mongo Park discovered River Niger se or Usman Dan fodio brought Islam to northern Niger ? Did you know we had a working government before the English arrived? Dont be a modern slave yo!! Read books, ask questions.

BabaIjebuXL:


Your heritage sucks? Omo! This one buff oh. I still wonder the kind of minds we have in black Africa. Slavery, ritual killings are only synonymous to Africa se? I'm sorry to inform you oh you're not bright. Why did the English come to Africa in the first place? To educate and preach peace and religion abi? So who our ancestors get in ships to be used as slaves on sugarcane plantations? You thought us to kneel and pray to idols? Did you read about the English and Ijebu ode war? Did you know your ancestors were already trading along the coastal lanes with the Europeans before the English invasion? Ode, you believe Mongo Park discovered River Niger se or Usman Dan fodio brought Islam to northern Niger ? Did you know we had a working government before the English arrived? Dont be a modern slave yo!! Read books, ask questions.

Who wrote the books

I can't remember any ijebu teaching anyone to read and write

The government you had, the one of ogboni and one stupid king that covers his face right?

Wow
Ok u mentioned trade, slave trade ain't it

U sell ur cousin to the Portuguese and he paid u in liquor, or trifles, mirrors, or guns and pellets to raid ur distant cousins this time

Bright man, your history sucks, it's dark

illicit:


Who wrote the books

I can't remember any ijebu teaching anyone to read and write

The government you had, the one of ogboni and one stupid king that covers his face right?

Wow
Ok u mentioned trade, slave trade ain't it

U sell ur cousin to the Portuguese and he paid u in liquor, or trifles, mirrors, or guns and pellets to raid ur distant cousins this time

Bright man, your history sucks, it's dark

Negro, the Ogboni was a system of government and a fine working one with decentralized power. "A stupid king that covers his face right?" You prefer a king that you would kneel and kiss is ring ba? A king that when he rides through the city you bow down and face the ground? Unlike you, I know my history forehand. My forefathers were wealthy, brave hunters who sold animal hides to Europeans over generations before the English man arrived on our soil. Na negro you be, you go dey alright.

BabaIjebuXL:


Negro, the Ogboni was a system of government and a fine working one with decentralized power. "A stupid king that covers his face right?" You prefer a king that you would kneel and kiss is ring ba? A king that when he rides through the city you bow down and face the ground? Unlike you, I know my history forehand. My forefathers were wealthy, brave hunters who sold animal hides to Europeans over generations before the English man arrived on our soil. Na negro you be, you go dey alright.

Yeah monarchy is shit

Now your father's hunt and sold hides right?

What were they paid

Ur fathers had no idea of deforestation and wildlife preservation

They put you in the shit you are today, not the whites

illicit:


Yeah monarchy is shit

Now your father's hunt and sold hides right?

What were they paid

Ur fathers had no idea of deforestation and wildlife preservation

They put you in the shit you are today, not the whites

Lmaooo, ode leleyi oh. Deforestation and wildlife preservation? Oye Elite Negro! In those era were they anything like those words you mentioned? It's my forefathers that amalgamated Nigeria abi? Have you seen the movie django? You're the Stephen character, did you see how that fool ended? I'm a proud Ijebuman! Emi omo Alapoekun.

When delusion meet hallucination, Queen of Sheba Will become Queen of Ijebu Ode and king Solomon will become the king of Ijebu Otele

BabaIjebuXL:


Lmaooo, ode leleyi oh. Deforestation and wildlife preservation? In that era were they anything like those you mentioned? Have you seen the movie django? You're the Stephen character, did you see how that fool ended ? [color=#990000][/color]

You are a fool like your fathers, they would have kept on cutting trees, killing animals and selling to the whites if the same whites didn't educate them when they have obviously had enough

U can't even SEE that I meant that your father's don't have foreSIGHT

I knew they were stupid but I never knew its hereditary

illicit:


You are a fool like your fathers, they would have kept on cutting trees, killing animals and selling to the whites if the same whites didn't edcyate them when the have obviously had enough

U can't even SEE that I meant that your father's don't have foreSIGHT

I knew they were stupid but I never knew its hereditary

Lmao.... did I hurt your feelings? Why are you screaming like a little girl? Stephen always a Stephen. My fathers did what your generation will never accomplish, we not on the same level Stephen.

BabaIjebuXL:


Lmao.... did I hurt your feelings? Why are you screaming like a little girl? Stephen always a Stephen. My fathers did what your generation will never accomplish, we not on the same level Stephen.

Yes that's what I mean

My father's don't sell slaves

We kill the slavers and traders, go figure

I am Omo Owa Omo Ekun

illicit:


Yes that's what I mean

My father's don't sell slaves

We kill the slavers and traders, go figure

I am Omo Owa Omo Ekun

Lmao... You mean Stephen Lion. I get you negro

BabaIjebuXL:


Lmao... You mean Stephen Lion. I get you negro

Sonofabitch

illicit:


Sonofabitch

Haha Haha e pain am oh, Stephen Lion wey no sabi mongoose, Na to dey kiss white man ring up and down. If you ever visit Ijebu ode, come Escalade lounge make I thrill you,as I dey see you you go like olosho dont worry it's on the house. Ire oh.

BabaIjebuXL:


Haha Haha e pain am oh, Stephen Lion wey no sabi mongoose, Na to dey kiss white man ring up and down. If you ever visit Ijebu ode, come Escalade lounge make I thrill you,as I dey see you you go like olosho dont worry it's on the house. Ire oh.

U just dey wine me