Benin, or the Kingdom of Benin, was a kingdom within what is now southern Nigeria and home to the Edo people

an artefact is an item of historical interest made by people in the past

Nigeria is a large West African country situated on the Atlantic Ocean

a heritage is the history, traditions, and artefacts that are handed down by previous generations

repatriation means to send something back to the country it came from

The Benin Bronzes

History

In ‘Non-European societies: Benin or the Maya’ pupils are encouraged to compare and contrast their understanding of Anglo-Saxon England with a non-European society that was roughly contemporaneous. In ‘Significant turning points: how did experiences differ during WW2?' Pupils extend their chronological understanding by studying the significant turning point of WW2.

In ‘The Vikings: how did Viking settlement help to make England?’ pupils studied the political narrative of how Viking settlement helped to forge England. In ‘Non-European societies: Benin or the Maya’ pupils are encouraged to compare and contrast their understanding of Anglo-Saxon England with a non-European society that was roughly contemporaneous.

If pupils study Benin, they learn about Benin's culture and society and how its looted artworks have caused modern controversy. If they study the Maya, they build knowledge of this civilisation to analyse what made them so distinctive.

Non-European societies: Benin or the Maya

the Edo were the indigenous inhabitants of the Kingdom of Benin

indigenous refers to people living in a land from the earliest times

a plain is a large area of flat land with few trees

suburbs are areas on the outskirts of a city or town where people live

Benin City

the Oba was the ruler of the Edo people living in the Kingdom of Benin

to be divine is to be a god or like a god

a plaque is a flat piece of metal, stone or wood with writing or images on it that is fixed to a wall or surface

The Oba of Benin

a deity is a god, goddess or supernatural being that some people worship and believe in

Edo religion

when a person is enslaved it means that they are forced to be a slave

transatlantic means crossing the Atlantic Ocean

British Nigeria refers to the time when Nigeria was ruled by the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century until 1960 when they achieved independence

to loot means to steal items from a place during a war but and can also mean the stolen items

Benin and Europe

descendants are people who come after someone else in a family

ancestors are the people who came before you in your family; they are a family's older generations

Non-European societies: Benin or the Maya

Benin: Why have people argued about the Benin Bronzes?

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These lessons will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.