Document. Protect. Preserve. Pass It On.

An Ẹdomaye Call to Preserve the Ancient Benin Earthworks

The Iya of Benin, commonly described as the Benin earthworks or Benin City earthworks, are among the most remarkable surviving monuments of the Benin cultural landscape.

They are not merely earth.

They are history.

They are engineering.

They are landscape.

They are memory.

And what remains must be protected.

WHY PRESERVATION MUST BEGIN NOW

Archaeological research has demonstrated that the Benin Iya form an extensive network of ditches and earthen ramparts associated with hundreds of settlements across the wider Benin and Esan landscape.

Recent research estimates the wider earthwork system at approximately 16,000 kilometres, covering about 6,500 square kilometres, although the precise extent and chronology remain subjects of continuing archaeological investigation.

The evidence also shows that the Iya should not simply be understood as one wall built at one time by one ruler.

They represent a complex landscape whose construction, modification and expansion occurred over an extended period.

Benin traditions preserve accounts associating particular earthworks with particular rulers. Archaeology provides another body of evidence, and scholars continue to investigate how the different sections developed.

Ẹdomaye believes these sources should be studied together rather than placed unnecessarily in opposition.

OUR HISTORICAL PRINCIPLE

Ẹdomaye will distinguish clearly between:

BENIN TRADITION — What has been preserved through Benin historical memory, oral traditions and traditional accounts.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE — What physical remains, excavation, dating and archaeological research demonstrate.

DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE — What early written records actually record.

SCHOLARLY INTERPRETATION — How historians, archaeologists and other researchers interpret the available evidence.

UNCERTAINTY — What remains unresolved and requires further investigation.

This approach does not weaken Benin history.

It strengthens it.

THE PRESERVATION CHALLENGE

The surviving Iya face serious pressure from urban development and other forms of human activity.

Recent archaeological research has documented substantial loss of earthworks within Benin City and has emphasized the urgent need for conservation and community involvement.

Every section that disappears represents the loss of physical evidence.

Every undocumented traditional name risks being forgotten.

Every elder who passes away without having their knowledge recorded may take part of the historical memory with them.

Therefore:

WE MUST DOCUMENT NOW.

THE ẸDOMAYE IYA HERITAGE ARCHIVE

Ẹdomaye proposes the development of a structured Iya Heritage Archive to document surviving and historically remembered sections of the Benin earthworks.

For every site that can responsibly be documented, the archive should record:

• Location
• Community
• Traditional name
• Photographs
• Video
• Coordinates, where appropriate
• Physical condition
• Approximate dimensions where safely measurable
• Oral traditions
• Names of associated rulers, where traditionally stated
• Historical sources
• Archaeological information
• Preservation threats
• Date of documentation

Each documented site should receive a unique identification number.

For example:

IYA-001

IYA-002

IYA-003

and so forth.

Over time, these records can become part of a permanent digital heritage archive.

DOCUMENT THE ELDERS

This is one of the most urgent tasks.

Elders and community custodians who possess knowledge about surviving Iya should be interviewed respectfully and, where they consent, recorded.

Questions should include:

What is this earthwork called?

What is its traditional history?

Who is traditionally associated with it?

What was it used for?

Where did it originally extend?

What has disappeared?

When did the changes begin?

What does the community remember that may not exist in written records?

Where possible, interviews should preserve the Edo-language testimony, followed by accurate transcription and English translation.

In this way, Iya preservation can also become Edo-language preservation.

DOCUMENT WHAT HAS ALREADY DISAPPEARED

Preservation does not mean documenting only what survives.

Where an Iya has already been destroyed or severely damaged, Ẹdomaye should document the history of the loss.

We should record:

What was there?

Where was it located?

What remains?

When was it lost?

What caused the destruction?

Are older photographs or testimonies available?

A destroyed monument should not become a forgotten monument.

Its history should remain in the archive.

CREATE THE ẸDOMAYE IYA MAP

One long-term goal should be an Ẹdomaye Iya Heritage Map.

The map could eventually identify:

Surviving Iya

Partially surviving Iya

Destroyed Iya

Traditional sites

Sites requiring archaeological investigation

Sites requiring urgent preservation attention

The map does not need to begin perfectly.

It can grow as evidence is responsibly collected and verified.

COMMUNITY MUST BE AT THE CENTRE

Ẹdomaye cannot and should not attempt to preserve the Iya alone.

The communities living around the earthworks are essential partners.

Preservation should involve, where appropriate:

• Traditional institutions
• Community leaders
• Edo State cultural authorities
• National heritage authorities
• Archaeologists
• Historians
• Universities
• Heritage organizations
• Schools
• Youth organizations
• Property owners
• Local communities
• International heritage organizations

The people who live with the heritage must have a meaningful voice in its preservation.

WE MUST NOT DAMAGE THE EVIDENCE

Preservation must be responsible.

Ẹdomaye should not excavate, dig into, rebuild, alter or remove archaeological material without appropriate professional authority and legal permission.

Our immediate responsibilities are:

DOCUMENT.

EDUCATE.

RAISE AWARENESS.

CONNECT COMMUNITIES WITH PROFESSIONALS.

ADVOCATE FOR PROTECTION.

WORK TOWARD FORMAL HERITAGE PROTECTION

The Benin Kingdom Earthworks are included on Nigeria’s UNESCO Tentative List.

This is important, but it must be stated accurately:

Tentative List status is not the same as UNESCO World Heritage inscription.

Ẹdomaye therefore supports serious continued work toward:

• Comprehensive documentation
• Archaeological research
• Conservation assessment
• Community consultation
• Legal protection
• Heritage management planning
• Public education
• Sustainable conservation
• Continued international heritage engagement

OUR PRESERVATION PLEDGE

We will document what remains.

We will record what our elders remember.

We will preserve Edo-language testimony.

We will distinguish tradition from archaeological evidence.

We will acknowledge uncertainty where evidence is incomplete.

We will document destruction rather than allow it to disappear without a record.

We will educate our children.

We will work with communities and qualified heritage professionals.

We will advocate for serious conservation.

We will preserve the Iya for generations yet unborn.

THE IYA ARE NOT JUST EARTH.

THEY ARE HISTORY.

THEY ARE ENGINEERING.

THEY ARE MEMORY.

THEY ARE HERITAGE.

AND WHAT REMAINS MUST BE PROTECTED NOW.

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A CALL TO ACTION

If you are a community elder, historian, archaeologist, researcher, student, photographer, heritage worker or resident with knowledge, photographs, documents or oral history relating to the Benin Iya, Ẹdomaye welcomes responsible collaboration and documentation efforts.

Let us record what remains.

Let us preserve what our ancestors left behind.

Let us teach the next generation.

Let us ensure that the story of the Iya does not disappear with the earthworks themselves.

ẸDOMAYE

Preserving Culture & Empowering Education

WE ARE IN BENIN

LET THE LEOPARD ROAR AS LOUD AS IT CAN EVER BE.

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SOURCES AND HISTORICAL NOTE

This article distinguishes Benin traditional accounts from archaeological evidence and scholarly interpretation. The chronology and development of the Iya remain subjects of continuing research.

Key references include archaeological research published in African Archaeological Review, UNESCO’s documentation concerning the Benin Kingdom Earthworks, and NASA’s Earth-observation coverage of the Benin earthworks.

Ẹdomaye will update this article when new credible archaeological, historical or documentary evidence becomes available.

Historical preservation requires both respect for tradition and commitment to evidence.