BENIN CITY, NIGERIA—According to a statement released by Antiquity, an international team of researchers is investigating the site of the palace of the Oba, or king of the Kingdom of Benin, which was looted and demolished by the British in 1897. The work is being conducted ahead of the construction of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City by a team of scientists from MOWAA, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, and the British Museum. The study has uncovered evidence for the development of the city, its architecture, and Benin’s famed metalworking. “We know that we cannot arrest development: roads must be built, houses must be built," commented archaeologist Segun Opadeji of MOWAA. "But as we are developing and constructing, we must also make sure that cultural heritage is not destroyed.” Read the original scholarly article about this research in Antiquity. To read about the beginning of excavations at the site, go to "Letter from Nigeria: A West African Kingdom's Roots."
