Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: The establishment of reliable chronologies remains fundamental to understanding the development and persistence of iron production in Africa. This paper presents Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates obtained from charcoal samples recovered from iron-smelting contexts at Zangon Tama, Sokoto State, northwestern Nigeria. Five charcoal samples associated with slag deposits, furnace remains, and metallurgical debris were calibrated using the IntCal20 Northern Hemisphere calibration curve. The calibrated dates indicate that iron-smelting activities occurred between the late thirteenth and seventeenth centuries CE. The results suggest at least three phases of production: an initial phase during the late thirteenth and fourteenth centuries CE, a principal production phase during the fifteenth century CE, and a later phase extending into the seventeenth century CE. The chronology demonstrates long-term technological continuity and repeated use of the site over approximately four centuries. The study contributes to wider discussions concerning indigenous technological knowledge, technological resilience, and the persistence of iron-smelting traditions in West Africa.
Source: Research Square
Institutions: Ahmadu Bello University, University of Ghana, iThemba Laboratory
Language: English
Subfield: Archeology
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: Barakat Trust, Ahmadu Bello University
OpenAlex ID: W7214745424