Settlement history and chronology in the Savè area of central Bénin

This article presents the results of recent archaeological research investigating changes and continuity in site patterning and material culture in the Savè area of the Republic of Bénin. Our research indicates that by AD 1000 the area was inhabited by iron-using agriculturalists. The establishment of the Shabe kingdom in the seventeenth century is associated with multiple changes in the area: increased settlement size, a dispersed settlement pattern and a greater variety of pottery decoration practices. Non-local artefacts demonstrate connections between the Savè area and the broader region, as well as participation in global economic networks. Instability in the nineteenth century led to a settlement pattern centred on fortified sites. Though many settlements were destroyed and/or abandoned during this period, the Shabe kingdom incorporated other refugee groups into its political system and increased its presence in the Yoruba-Edo region

Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Chronology · Geography · Human settlement · Period (music) · Political science · Politics · Pottery · Settlement (finance) · Yoruba · African history and culture analysis · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies · Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies · History · Law

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