Study of skeletal remains from CQ Feature 21, Benin city: an update
Résumé
In parallel with the Ife-Sungbo archaeological project led by A. Ogunfolakan and G. Chouin, a complementary research has been carried out by C. Chapelain de Seréville-Niel, CNRS research engineer and archaeo-anthropologist at Centre for Ancient and Medieval Archaeological and Historical Research of the University of Caen Normandy (France). This study, which began in 2019, concerns the bone collection excavated by G. Connah in the early 1960s in a mass grave located in a tank in Benin City. In addition to determining the anthropological characteristics of this population (age, sex, bones particularities), it will enable us to compare, complete and revise previous available data, especially on the pathologies noted or the nature of funerary recruitment. Sampling of petrous bones for subsequent DNA analysis was also carried out during this operation.
This study was carried out as part of a preliminary training workshop in physical anthropology. The methodology followed consisted in carrying out a complete inventory of the collection: identification, osteological measurements and observations, and pictures of each bone were recorded on a shared database (Google Drive). This shared workspace was conducive to interaction and collaborative work with seven students from the University of Ibadan and several lecturers from its Department of Archaeology and Anthropology (Prof. R. A. Alabi, A. O. Opadeji and K. Adekola). During the 2022 research campaign, they also facilitated meetings with various local university authorities at the University of Ibadan, with the objective to future scientific collaboration between the University of Ibadan and Caen Normandy.