An Archaeological Investigation of Iyafe Sinta Abandoned Settlement Site in Gurara Local Government Area, Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

The presence of archaeological features in Iyafe Sinta as well as the historical account
of the people prompted this archaeological survey that revealed a sedentary lifestyle of
the Iyafe Sinta people. Iyafe Sinta had a diversified economy and a stratified society
which have risen, peaked and then fall to the superior firepower of the white slave
raiders in the early 19th century. Through Oral History, this paper traces the history of
the Iyafe Sinta people, their migration as well as their cultural adaptation to the everchanging
environment. Methods such as archaeological surveys and Oral Tradition
helped in documenting the cultural history of these unique people that once occupied
this Sinta site in Central Nigeria. This paper recommends further research that would
place the Iyafe Sinta site in chronological order through age determination.