SPATIO-TEMPORAL INFERENCES FROM THE STUDY OF SOAPSTONE FIGURINES IN ESIE, KWARA STATE NIGERIA

Abstract

Previous studies of Esie soapstone figurines located in Esie, Kwara State have been on origin, and artistic styles of the artefacts. The chronological framework which is necessary to situate the production of the soapstone figurines in time and space for the understanding of human and material development has not received due attention. Furthermore, there is also a need to determine the environmental condition under which the soapstone figurines were manufactured. Therefore, this study was designed to examine the spatio-temporal inferences from the soapstone figurine found in Esie, Kwara State, Nigeria. The Julian Steward Cultural Ecology theory involving the determination of human development, ecology and ideology of the people was used for this study. Archaeological reconnaissance, excavation of sites and ethnography were the methods used. Archaeological reconnaissance was carried out to identify possible sites to be studied through observation to changes in soil colour, vegetation and other landscape features, and for collection of artefacts. Two sites in Igbo-Ilowe, one each from Ijan and the premises of the National Museum in Esie were reconnoitred. Excavation was undertaken at selected sites to reveal the cultural materials beneath the ground surface and to allow for sample collections. Soapstone samples collected were studied petrographically while pollen analysis was also undertaken. Charcoal was collected from excavation trenches and was dated by radiocarbon method. Eighteen purposively selected key informants were interviewed for the significance and uses of the cultural items recovered. Archaeological reconnaissance revealed soapstone outcrops were observed in Esie, Igbo Ilowe and Ijan during reconnaissance survey. A possible soapstone quarry site was found in Igbo-Ilowe with quantities of partly worked and un-worked figurine pieces. Samples recovered were soapstones, potsherds and iron objects. Excavations revealed lithics, soapstones, potsherds, smoking pipes, terracotta, and organic materials such as snail shells, palm kernels, teeth fragments, seeds, bones and cowrie shells. Petrographic analysis identified the dominant mineral in the soapstone to be talc, which was available locally and found important to the figurine production. Pollen analysis yielded large quantity of whistling pine Casuarina equisetifolia, an excellent fuel known for its charcoal yield. Radiocarbon dates from recovered charcoal samples indicated that the culture of soapstone figurines flourished between 510 ±50 BP and 650 ±30 BP. Ethnographic materials such as beads, smoking pipes, and cowries revealed a community that had all the indices of a developed culture evident through the artistic manufacture of soapstone figurines. The occurrence of talc in Esie allowed for the production of Soapstone figurines between 14th and early 15th century, the outcrop of talc in Esie and its environs may have served as the impetus for its production.