Surprise origin for Benin bronzes

By Nina Notman2023-05-26T07:20:00

An underwater photograph from a shipwreck of some greenish curved bracelet-like manillas encrusted together

Show students the unexpected journey of brass from northern Europe

A new geochemical study reveals that bronze metal used in most of the Benin bronzes originates thousands of miles away. The discovery casts new light on the artworks, many of which were looted during the British military expedition of 1897 that brought the Edo’s Kingdom of Benin to an end. Explore this new research with secondary school students to give a real-world context to your lessons on metal alloys. Plus, download the story and a summary slide for 14–16 learners.

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