The scientists from the University of Bristol and Goethe University have found traces of bee wax in the potteries unearthed in Nigeria. These potteries belong to the Nok Culture.
Inference
- From the unearthed pots, it has been concluded that bee and bee products were created before 40,000 years.
- The practice of bee keeping dates back to 2600 BCE.
Nok Culture
- The culture developed in Central Nigeria in 1500 BCE.
- The culture vanished in 500 AD.
- The people of Nok Culture belong to Iron Age.
Sculptures
- The Nok Culture is known for its terracotta sculptures.
- The Nok People used clay to make their sculptures. The clay used in all the sculptures were similar. This showed that the clay came from the same source and was controlled by a central authority.
- Their sculptures consisted only of heads that defined hairstyles in detail. Also, they are depicted with abundant jewellery and varied postures.
Tools
- Smelting and forging tools were used in Nok Culture. Smelting is the process of applying heat to the ores to extract the metals from them. Forging is the process of shaping the metal.
- They also used stone tools.
- Their farming tools were made of iron.
- Around thirteen iron smelting furnaces have been found by archaeologists. They were found using a Proton Magnetometer
Proton Magnetometer
It measures the variations in the Earth’s magnetic field. This allows the ferrous objects on land and sea to be detected.
They are also used to locate a wrecked ship.