An Appraisal of Archaeological Excavation of Gudi Hilltop Settlement Site, Southern Yobe, Yobe State, Nigeria

Abstract

Recently archaeological excavation was carried out on Gudi hilltop settlement site to unravel material culture from their context for better understanding of the former inhabitants’ culture history. Gudi is one of the abandoned hilltop settlement sites in the southern Yobe area that host Ngamo ethnic group from the Birnin Ngazargamu, the ancient capital of Kanem Borno. A test pit trench of 2x4 was excavated using an interval of 20cm (spit level). The excavation has yielded collections of different cultural materials such as ceramic objects, lithic objects, iron working residues and tools, bone, charcoal samples among others. This paper outlined the preliminary report carried out on this site by adding to the existing knowledge of the archaeology of Lake Chad region and more especially the hilltop settlers. The research has shown a clear transition from stone age to iron age period and how these cultures were interrelated within time and space.