Conducted between 2021−2025, the MOWAA Archaeology Project launched the most extensive archaeological investigations in Benin City, Nigeria, since the 1960s. Integrating a framework of pre-construction and research archaeology within the development of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), this book details the results of the project’s systematic surveys and excavations in the heart of the historic palace district − formerly the political and ceremonial centre of the Kingdom of Benin, prior to its destruction by the British military in 1897. Novel in scope, scale and approach, the work revealed stratified deposits spanning at least six centuries, including evidence of pre-colonial architecture, habitation, craft production and ceremonial practices, as well as material charting the transformations associated with the 1897 British attack, the early colonial reconfiguration of the city, and subsequent 20th-century occupation.As the first of two volumes, this book provides a detailed account of the site, field methodologies, survey data and excavated stratigraphy. It situates the new findings within the broader historical development of Benin City, synthesising previous archaeological research with oral and documentary accounts, thus providing a rich new account of Benin City’s history. Broader discussion includes placing the findings in wider West African historical and archaeological context, the role of public engagement, and the emerging landscape of pre-construction archaeology in the region. The volume further highlights the collaborative Nigerian–British research partnership, including contributions from the project’s cohort of early career Nigerian archaeologists and other participants and stakeholders.
