A comprehensive database of african history quizzes online, test your knowledge with african history quiz questions. Nok was a complex society with permanent settlements and centers for farming and manufacturing, but. The nok culture was an ancient civilisation in what is now nigeria. Date range they used iron to make better farming tools. Chapter 8 african civilizations flashcards quizlet. First discovered in 1928 in the small tinmining village of nok, artifacts of similar features were found over an area that stretched about.
You need to build a team, with a culture you want to work in yourself. Nok is a village located in kaduna state nigeria, 160 kilometers northeast of kwoi in jema local government area. Some of the earliest examples of sophisticated sculpture. The nok culture appeared in northern nigeria around 1500 bc and vanished under unknown circumstances around 500 ad, thus having lasted approximately 2,000 years. Excavations over the last fifteen years have uncovered many hundred terra cottas and fragments which were central to rites performed in the nok civilisation 2,500 years ago. The terracottas represent the earliest sculptural art in west africa and were made between 900 b.
Found in north central nigeria off the edge of the jos plateau. The nok people also made animals, such as this elephant. Nbk presents a brief introduction to the ancient nok culture bc300 ad of west africa. We offer you expert tools for the pdf functionalities in your document process, quickly and efficiently integrated into an. Pdf new studies on the nok culture of central nigeria. This book covers much of what you need to know to create a culture and build a team that will drive your startup to. The culture was named nok after the place the first artifacts were found.
The nok culture the nok culture was considered the earliest subsaharan producer of life sized terracotta. The nok mysterious and sophisticated ancient culture. Its social system is thought to have been very advanced for its time. Said another way, a culture creator is someone who turns up a society. Nok art is definitely the oldest form of art to ever be found in nigeria and west africa. To survive, many early farmers moved east into the nile valley and south into west africa. Pdf tools ag components and solutions for pdf and pdf a. A culture creator is someone who improves the quality of life in a society. Get to know the nok culture, nigerias oldest known. Terracotta was also popular in subsaharan african sculpture. Although african art is presented here as an integral element of economic, social, and political institutions, in the final analysis the prime element is aesthetic. Its social system is thought to have been highly advanced. This publication is the first comprehensive overview of nok terra cotta sculptures, discovered in an area of modernday nigeria known as the cradle of africas monumental sculpture.
African sculpture is most often figurative, representing the human form and fashioned primarily from wood but it can also be stylized and abstracted and carved from stone. This barcode number lets you verify that youre getting exactly the right version or edition of a book. It has been suggested that the nok culture eventually evolved into the yoruba. Information and translations of nok culture in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. After the nok disappeared, there was a long hiatus before the reappearance of regional artistic traditions after c. This civilisation lived in northern and central nigeria. Choose from 145 different sets of 3 characteristics of nok culture flashcards on quizlet. And though it is very unlikely that our demand for resources will do anything but increase over time, a creator culture might also help us to reach beyond the limits of. This great civilization was one of the earliest in west africa. Nok culture terracottas are heralded as the prime evidence of the refinement of african civilizations, and it is suggested that the society eventually evolved into the later ife yoruba community. The nok themselves were able to create goodqaulity iron through smelting, which is the process of heating metal to extract it in a pure form.
Desertdwelling african nomadic huntergatherers, not influenced by the bantuspeakers culture king ezana a strong ruler 325 360 a. Nok an archaeological culture that was widespread from circa 900 b. Media in category nok culture the following 50 files are in this category, out of 50 total. Nok terracotta figures are cult objects representing deities, spirit figures, mythical beings or deified ancestors. However, the lack of archaeological excavations inhibits knowledge of the antiquity of african art and the sheer disposable nature of the raw materials used in the creation of art objects means that an untold wealth of pieces have disintegrated in time. A comprehensive history of art in nigeria idonsabi. Nok figures where made for religious purpose as proved by subject and attitude. This made the nok an important part of local trade.
It can span centuries and be as ancient as the advent of. The nok are considered to be the earliest producers of lifesized terracotta sculptures in subsaharan africa. A creator culture would lead to a plateau in demand and a levelling of growth. We know the dates of these objects from radioactive carbon dating, which tests carbon found in association with the figures, and from thermoluminescence, which determines when the clay object was fired. Art in nigeria 2500 years ago by gert chesi editor, gerhard merzeder editor isbn. They are very popular for their terracotta terracotta means fired clay sculptures of heads. The nok culture appeared in northern nigeria around 1500 bc and vanished under unknown circumstances around 500 ad, having lasted approximately 2,000 years.
The nok culture is an early iron age population whose material remains are named after the ham village of nok in kaduna state of nigeria, where their terracotta sculptures were first discovered in 1928. The nok culture encyclopedia history kaduna nok is a village located in kaduna state nigeria, 160 kilometers northeast of kwoi in jema local government area. While samun dukiya, taruga and jos are the main sites of discovery, what is today known as nok culture extends from the northern edges of ogbomosho, makurdi and ilorin to beyond sokoto and katsina into the southern part of the republic of niger. From capturing to archiving, digitalization is moving forward. Nok culture the nok culture of subsaharan africa is believed to be the earliest known civilization of africa. It was the first indication of an advanced culture that flourished from as early as 900bce to 500ce. Nok art refers to huge human, animal, and other figures made out of terracotta pottery, made by the nok culture and found throughout nigeria. Ugwuele is an igbo community in uturu, isuikwuato local government area, abia state in nigeria which houses a stone age site that provides evidence that humans inhabited the region as far back as 250,000 years ago. It was also a feature of precolumbian art, beginning with the olmec culture 500 bce. Relatively little is known about the nok people of ancient africa, but a few characteristics are coming to light. In the central nigerian forests, the nok culture flourished between 500 b. A frican artifacts are created first and foremost in order to serve particular sociocultural functions, that are rooted in african philosophical world view. Wide diversity of subject matter depicted with considerable variation in style, treatment and scale.
Nok culture spanned the end of the neolithic stone age and start of the iron age in subsaharan africa, and may be the oldest organized society in subsaharan africa. The people of nok lived in an area by the banks of the river benue, somewhere in presentday kaduna state nigeria and the surrounding area. Evidence of a nok culture was first discovered in 1928 during mine excavations led by lt. Dentyoung, when a terra cotta monkeys head was unearthed in the nigerian village of nok. Culture creators was birthed to provide a platform for ideation, mentorship and leadership for the next generation of culture creators in entertainment. The heads of nok terracottas are invariably proportionally large relative to the bodies, and while not enough is known of nok culture to explain this apparent imbalance, it is interesting to note that a similar emphasis of the head in later african art. Pdf tools ag components and solutions for pdf and pdfa. The oldest known example of terracotta sculpture in africa, south of the sahara. He is also known as the god of iron, and is present in yoruba religion, haitian vodou, and west african vodun.
This publication is the first comprehensive overview of nok terra cotta s. Sep 04, 2016 nbk presents a brief introduction to the ancient nok culture bc300 ad of west africa. About one hundred authenticated nok figures, the majority published here for the first time, are included in this lavishly illustrated publication, accompanied by two essays that take a closer look at the mysteries of this enigmatic culture. The use of iron, in smelting and forging tools, appears in the nok culture at least by 550 bc and possibly earlier. They can therefore only be understood in relation to their original context in political or spiritualritual activities, for example. It is named after the site of the first finds, discovered in 1931, in the village of nok, southwest of the town of jos. Some of the earliest examples of sophisticated sculpture in subsaharan africa come from the nok culture. Nok was a complex society with permanent settlements and centers for farming and manufacturing, but we are still left guessing who the. The energy we invest in buying consumer goods would instead go towards our creative activities. Diverse societies in africa springfield public schools. In this essay you will learn about the first nok discoveries, dating techniques, how the figures were made, and their stylistic characteristics. Pdf a brief report is given on preliminary results of a study dedicated to the nok culture of central nigeria.
It has been suggested that the nok culture eventually evolved into the later yoruba culture of ife based on similarities seen in the artwork from these two cultures. It was the largest handaxe factory in nigeria, and possibly in the world. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The nok civilization was the first civilization to smelt iron. This group of people wer led, according to yoruba historical accounts, by king oduduwa, who settled peacefully in the already established ileife, the sacred city of the indigenous nok people. First discovered in 1928 in the small tinmining village of nok, artifacts of similar features were found over an area that stretched about 300 miles 480 km east to west and 200. The motifs are often based on symbolic or cultural ideas rather than natural forms, and their. Mar 07, 2019 a comprehensive database of african history quizzes online, test your knowledge with african history quiz questions. Nok culture the nok culture appeared in nigeria around bc and vanished under unknown circumstances around 300 ad in the region of west africa. The site at ugwuele uturu, which lies on a dolerite ridge, was. A study of african art history indicates the earliest sculpture forms found come from nigeria and are dated around 500bc. Automation is increasing, along with volumes of data and demands on processes and software. It was discovered in 1928 during a tin mining operation in the area lead by ltcolonel john dentyoung. The earliest culture in nigeria to be identified by its distinctive artifacts is that of the nok people.
The nok team is composed on one hand of project managers, research assistants, postgraduates, final yearstudents and undergraduates. Triangular eyes appear on both human and animal figures. For one, we can tell that the nok were a sedentary society, meaning. In 1928, a worker accidentally unearthed a figurine from a tin mine in presentday nigeria. Learn 3 characteristics of nok culture with free interactive flashcards. The nok culture was considered to be the earliest subsaharan producer of lifesized.
Nok culture article about nok culture by the free dictionary. He is a warrior and a powerful spirit of metal work, as well as of rum and rummaking. The iron was used to make tools for farming and weapons for. As a founder, youre juggling growth, customer acquisition, funding and plenty of other distractions. Our online african history trivia quizzes can be adapted to suit your requirements for taking some of the top african history quizzes. The nok culture was considered to be the earliest subsaharan producer of lifesized terracotta. Nok culture, ancient iron age culture that existed on the benue plateau of nigeria between about 500 bce and 200 ce. Despite the splendors of classical african art like the sculptures of nok, ife, benin the main concern here is with the arts that continue to flourish in the chiefdoms. The heads of nok terracottas are invariably proportionally large relative to the bodies, and while not enough is known of nok culture to explain this apparent imbalance, it is interesting to note that a similar emphasis of the head in later african art traditions often signifies respect for intelligence.
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