Speaker 1: Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of iHeartRadio and Grimm
Speaker 1: and Mild from Aaron Mankie. Listener discretion advised. The late
Speaker 1: afternoon sun was beating down on Admiral Sir Harry Rawson's
Speaker 1: back as he ambled through the African city of Edo
Speaker 1: on February eighteenth, eighteen ninety seven. Even though he carefully
Speaker 1: scanned each street and clocked every window he walked past,
Speaker 1: he was almost relaxed. The tension he had been holding
Speaker 1: in his body mere hours before had largely dissipated. After
Speaker 1: five days of moving through dense forest and facing gorilla
Speaker 1: attacks from Eto's soldiers. It was a relief, no a triumph,
Speaker 1: to be strolling the streets the Kingdom of Benin's king
Speaker 1: or Oba, and everyone else in the Kingdom of Benin's
Speaker 1: capital city had fled. That was an unfortunate outcome of
Speaker 1: the attack, as Admiral Rawson and his British forces had
Speaker 1: hoped to capture the Oba. The campaign was known as
Speaker 1: the quote punitive expedition. After all, in the minds of
Speaker 1: the British people, the Edo people, especially their Oba, needed
Speaker 1: to pay for killing British soldiers earlier that year. But regardless,
Speaker 1: the British had the city now. The British forces hadn't
Speaker 1: even known the exact location of Edo, and yet here
Speaker 1: they were. Admiral Rawson chalked that up to British superiority.
Speaker 1: As the British force of twelve hundred people continued to
Speaker 1: explore the abandoned city, they took it upon themselves to
Speaker 1: inspect the larger buildings, including the Soba's Palace and the
Speaker 1: religious spaces. As Admiral Rawson and his men explored the palace,
Speaker 1: they first came upon stores of what they initially deemed
Speaker 1: quote cheap rubbish, but in sorting through the piles, they
Speaker 1: found quote several hundred unique bronze plaques of really superb
Speaker 1: casting castings of wonderful delicacy of detail, some magnificently carved tusks,
Speaker 1: and bronze groups of idols. In the buildings clearly meant
Speaker 1: for religious ceremonies. They also found quote handsomely carved ivory
Speaker 1: tusks placed on the top of very antique bronze heads.
Speaker 1: The precious items were swiftly collected and packed up to
Speaker 1: be taken out of the Kingdom of Benin and transported
Speaker 1: to London for sale. Something had to pay for the
Speaker 1: expensive expedition might as well be these. Once they were
Speaker 1: done exploring the royal residences and the religious buildings, the
Speaker 1: British started destroying the city. On one hand, this was personal,
Speaker 1: the Edo had killed British soldiers and now they were
Speaker 1: facing the mighty wrath of the British Empire. But on
Speaker 1: the other hand, this was standard practice for the British
Speaker 1: in Africa, a scorched earth policy adhering to this maximum
Speaker 1: quite literally. After demolishing parts of the palace and some
Speaker 1: religious buildings, the British set the city ablaze. Admiral Rawson
Speaker 1: basked in the glow of the fire rolling through Edo
Speaker 1: he had more than accomplished his mission. He left behind
Speaker 1: a few soldiers to hold the conquered territory until the
Speaker 1: British could return and fortify their new stronghold, and with
Speaker 1: the smoke emanating from still smoldering ruins, the admiral set
Speaker 1: off back to London. Just four days after they had arrived.
Speaker 1: The British had toppled the King of Benin, destroyed the
Speaker 1: capital city, and looted the kingdom's most precious religious masterpieces.
Speaker 1: As they marched back through the forest. They carried with
Speaker 1: them what would become some of the most controversial artifacts
Speaker 1: of the twenty first century, artifacts that still remain in
Speaker 1: the British Museum today, the Benin Bronzes. I'm Danish sports
Speaker 1: and this is noble blood. The Benen Bronzes might be
Speaker 1: familiar to some of you already. They are some of
Speaker 1: the world's most talked about artifacts, and for good reason.
Speaker 1: These pieces of art, which include items cast in bronze
Speaker 1: and brass as well as ivory carvings, are as of
Speaker 1: this episode scattered across the world in private collections and museums,
Speaker 1: including most notably the British Museum. Nigeria, the modern state
Speaker 1: which encompasses the Kingdom of Edo, has been working diligently
Speaker 1: to try to get these pieces back for almost a century.
Speaker 1: But while some of the bronzes have been returned, most
Speaker 1: known Benin Bronzes still reside in the hands of others.
Speaker 1: These pieces have made incredible journeys from their creation to
Speaker 1: their use by the Kingdom of Edo as ceremonial and
Speaker 1: religious objects, to their seizure as looted items, to their
Speaker 1: status as hotly contested artifacts across the Globe today will
Speaker 1: trace that story, and that begins in the back alleys
Speaker 1: of Benin City. Benin City or Edo, was the capital
Speaker 1: of the Kingdom of Benin, not to be confused with
Speaker 1: the modern nation of Benin. The Kingdom of Benin ruled
Speaker 1: over a portion of the Niger River delta from around
Speaker 1: eleven eighty a d. To eighteen ninety seven a d.
Speaker 1: The kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of Edo, began
Speaker 1: as a city state and relied on simple tributary relationships.
Speaker 1: The Oba or king would offer military protection in exchange
Speaker 1: for tributes. As a reference point, their system was strikingly
Speaker 1: similar to European fiefdom. The kingdom started developing into a
Speaker 1: highly centralized empire in the fourteenth century. With this centralization
Speaker 1: of power under way, Oba Aguolo was able to create guilds,
Speaker 1: including those fours metal workers and brass casters, which still
Speaker 1: to this day have their headquarters and workshops located in
Speaker 1: a back alley in Edo. But we can point to
Speaker 1: this fifteenth century creation of guilds as a turning point
Speaker 1: in the development of Edo art. The artisans of Edo
Speaker 1: would make pieces of art out of brass, bronze, ivory,
Speaker 1: and coral works of art which are collectively known as
Speaker 1: the Benin Bronzes. The Moniker the Benin Bronzes is a
Speaker 1: bit deceiving, however, the name is used to refer to
Speaker 1: these sculptures and reliefs made from the thirteenth century onward
Speaker 1: in the Kingdom of Benin. Regardless of what material the
Speaker 1: works are made out of. The pieces that are categorized
Speaker 1: as Benin Bronzes are incredibly diverse. There are some exaggerated faces,
Speaker 1: some individuals, and some scenes groups together, the works depict
Speaker 1: court life, military victories, and important trade relationships, the story
Speaker 1: of a people's history told through art. If you've never
Speaker 1: seen them, I urge you to look up the Benien
Speaker 1: Bronzes to get a sense of the artistic style and
Speaker 1: their conventions. Fundamentally, Edo art was meant for the court,
Speaker 1: and it served two purposes. First, these sculptures and engravings
Speaker 1: were meant to record history. For the Edo people, history
Speaker 1: was an oral tradition, but they used these pieces of
Speaker 1: art to supplement their stories. For example, some images represented
Speaker 1: battles in their successful conquest of their neighbors, while other
Speaker 1: sculptures preserved the likenesses of important rulers and members of
Speaker 1: the nobility. Wrapped Up in that purpose were of course,
Speaker 1: political motivations. Politicians, kings, and noblemen trying to make themselves
Speaker 1: seem more important Obas would commission pieces that depicted them
Speaker 1: in a positive light. Not to get meta, being that
Speaker 1: this is a history podcast, but what is chosen to
Speaker 1: be remembered as history is never objective. The Obas, the
Speaker 1: kings of the Kingdom of Edo knew that and certainly
Speaker 1: used that to their advantage. The bronzes also served as
Speaker 1: religious objects central to the beliefs of the Edo people.
Speaker 1: The Edo religion involved belief in an invisible, supernatural world
Speaker 1: full of gods and spirits. In addition to traditional ancestor veneration,
Speaker 1: one important aspect of their religion was divine kingship, which
Speaker 1: combined their belief in spirits as well as ancestor worship. Obas,
Speaker 1: both living and dead, were seen as holding the power
Speaker 1: of life and death. Every new Oba, once the former
Speaker 1: Oba his father had passed and he rose to the throne,
Speaker 1: was tasked with putting together an altar for the recently
Speaker 1: deceased king. On this altar would be carved ivory tusks
Speaker 1: and brass heads cast to represent the former Oba or
Speaker 1: the former queen the new Oba's mother. These altars also
Speaker 1: included statues of leopards, as they were symbols associated with
Speaker 1: kingship and power. The Obas of Benin did have substantial
Speaker 1: power in the region. The kingdom began expanding in earnest
Speaker 1: starting in the sixteenth century. What brought the kingdom more
Speaker 1: power was their trade relationships with European countries like Portugal,
Speaker 1: England and France. Their location on the Niger River delta
Speaker 1: primed them to act as middlemen between European traders and
Speaker 1: other African states further inland, especially with regards to the
Speaker 1: slave trade. The Edo benefited greatly through the slave trade.
Speaker 1: When the Edo would expand their kingdom and take prisoners
Speaker 1: of war, they could turn around and sell those prisoners
Speaker 1: to European traders. So military expeditions allowed the Edo not
Speaker 1: only to expand their sphere of control, but also to
Speaker 1: trade with the Europeans. In the seventeenth century, the Edo
Speaker 1: Empire started to contract, having reached its largest in the
Speaker 1: sixteenth century, when it extended from the coast of the
Speaker 1: Bite of Benin almost to Acra in the west. The
Speaker 1: kingdom recovered some of its previous power in the eighteenth century,
Speaker 1: but declined somewhat again in the nineteenth All this being said,
Speaker 1: by the nineteenth century, despite no longer being the powerhouse
Speaker 1: it once had been, the Kingdom of Ito was still
Speaker 1: powerful and controlled much, if not all, of the palm
Speaker 1: oil trade through the Niger Delta. Unfortunately, it was their
Speaker 1: control of those trade routes in the region that put
Speaker 1: the kingdom at odds with the British. And when you
Speaker 1: were at odds with the British Empire in the nineteenth century,
Speaker 1: there was little that could be done to save you.
Speaker 1: In the nineteenth century, European nations were coming up against
Speaker 1: the economic necessities of the Industrial Revolution. In order for
Speaker 1: their economies to continue growing and thereby allow their state
Speaker 1: to become more powerful, countries like Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain,
Speaker 1: Portugal and Italy had to find new markets and new resources,
Speaker 1: but they couldn't look to Europe for those as industrial
Speaker 1: economies had already consumed the entire continent. So these European
Speaker 1: governments looked to Africa. Obviously, this is an oversimplification, but
Speaker 1: I think it's a helpful overview. Having colonized or established
Speaker 1: strong trade monopolies in most of the rest of the world.
Speaker 1: Europeans felt that Africa could satisfy their economic quote needs.
Speaker 1: Many countries already had trade relationships with nations in Africa,
Speaker 1: where they traded things like ivory, palm oil, and enslaved people.
Speaker 1: European states had trade relationships with African states south of
Speaker 1: the Sahara for hundreds of years, but in the eighteen
Speaker 1: eighties the European outlook towards the entire African continent changed
Speaker 1: as the European quote scramm for Africa ensued. In the
Speaker 1: late nineteenth century, European countries had led colonial excursions into
Speaker 1: various parts of Africa. For example, Britain assumed control over
Speaker 1: Egypt and South Africa, while Belgium, or more specifically, King
Speaker 1: Leopold of Belgium horrifically took over the Congo region of
Speaker 1: the African interior, which we covered on this podcast a
Speaker 1: while back in the episode The Red Paint on Leopold
Speaker 1: the Second. But as each European country gained a foothold
Speaker 1: in one part of the continent, the other European nations
Speaker 1: grew all that more eager to establish their own colonies,
Speaker 1: if for no other reason than preventing other countries from
Speaker 1: becoming more powerful. As tensions arose, it soon became clear
Speaker 1: that unless they did something, war would break out over
Speaker 1: the issue. In eighteen eighty four and eighteen eighty five,
Speaker 1: in order to avoid war in Europe, Attovon Bismarck of
Speaker 1: Germany convened the Berlin Conference, where the seven major European
Speaker 1: powers met to discuss quote the Africa problem. At this conference,
Speaker 1: the representatives of the Western powers took a map and
Speaker 1: divided up the African continent amongst themselves. Essentially, they decided
Speaker 1: who was to pursue control over which specific portions of Africa,
Speaker 1: with no regard for the nations and tribes and kingdoms
Speaker 1: who already inhabited the land. As I said, European countries
Speaker 1: had already begun to colonize Africa, but the Berlin Conference
Speaker 1: formalized those efforts. I could go off on a tangent
Speaker 1: to discuss the rationale that supported this incredibly racist entitlement
Speaker 1: to the continent, But instead, I think, for the purposes
Speaker 1: of this story, it'll be most illuminating to put Great
Speaker 1: Britain and their colonial efforts specifically in modern day Nigeria
Speaker 1: under a microscope, so to speak. After the Berlin Conference,
Speaker 1: Great Britain walked away with a fair amount of the
Speaker 1: European continent designated as theirs. Included in quote their territory
Speaker 1: was the land of the Niger Delta, where the Kingdom
Speaker 1: of Edo already held power. The British already had an
Speaker 1: established trade relationship with the Kingdom of Edo, which at
Speaker 1: this point in time was almost entirely the trade of
Speaker 1: palm oil, but had, as I mentioned previously, included human
Speaker 1: trafficking for the Transatlantic slave trade and trade of ivory. Ultimately,
Speaker 1: not much changed after the Berlin Conference in that particular region,
Speaker 1: as the British and their company, the Niger Coast Protectorate,
Speaker 1: were already heavily engaged in regional trade. The biggest change
Speaker 1: was an increase in Britain's determination to take formal control.
Speaker 1: The Kingdom of Itdo was one of the last independent
Speaker 1: states in Africa, which posed a problem for the British.
Speaker 1: The British had sent along many emissaries throughout the eighteen sixties,
Speaker 1: eighteen seventies and eighteen eighties to try to convince the
Speaker 1: Obas to become their protectorate, but the obas Oba Adolo
Speaker 1: and then his son Oba Ovan Amarin had repeatedly refused that.
Speaker 1: Being said, the Obas had signed trade treaties which the
Speaker 1: British hoped they could leverage and turn into control of
Speaker 1: the almost eight hundred year old kingdom seven centuries after
Speaker 1: its found By the nineteenth century, Edo or Benin City
Speaker 1: was a capital full of courthouses, mausoleums, religious compounds and palaces.
Speaker 1: Not to mention people, the expansive metropolis bore evidence of
Speaker 1: every era of royal power and type of religious observance.
Speaker 1: I want to note here that much, if not all,
Speaker 1: of what we know about the Kingdom of Benin in
Speaker 1: the nineteenth century and the punitive expedition of a eighteen
Speaker 1: ninety seven, comes from the British perspective, and almost all
Speaker 1: of those records are tainted by racist and imperialist notions.
Speaker 1: For example, many descriptions of the Kingdom of Edo describe
Speaker 1: gratuitous descriptions of human sacrifice that the Edo supposedly practiced.
Speaker 1: According to Admiral Rawson, the British commander at the opening
Speaker 1: of this episode, the capital Edo stunk quote of human
Speaker 1: blood sacrifices and corpses everywhere, with one area of the
Speaker 1: city quote simply strewn with bodies in every stage of decomposition,
Speaker 1: skulls and bones end quote. Rawson was not alone in
Speaker 1: describing evidence of human sacrifice. It was pervasive in British
Speaker 1: writings about the Kingdom of Edo. Now, I won't dispute
Speaker 1: that the Edo practiced human sacrifice, but many historians assert
Speaker 1: that the British over emphasized the practice in their writings
Speaker 1: in order to provide justification for their colonial expeditions. In
Speaker 1: the words of famous brit Rudyard Kipling, it was the
Speaker 1: white man's burden to bring civility to Africa. Human sacrifice
Speaker 1: sufficed as evidence that the Edo people were uncivilized and
Speaker 1: needed to be ruled and shown the way of civilization
Speaker 1: by the British Empire. We can even see evidence of
Speaker 1: that British justification as well as its true desires to
Speaker 1: control trade, in the comments of Ralph Moore, who was
Speaker 1: acting consul of the Niger Coast Protectorate, concerning British incursions
Speaker 1: on the Kingdom's sovereignty quote. The object of the expedition
Speaker 1: was to open up that country for trade. The tyranny
Speaker 1: and oppression of its rulers, prevent any civilizing influences extending
Speaker 1: into it, and render life and property so insecure as
Speaker 1: to prevent nearly all trade end quote. Obviously, then the
Speaker 1: only conclusion you can draw from that is they need
Speaker 1: to colonize. The British clearly had the supposed moral rationale
Speaker 1: to support a military invasion of the Kingdom of Edo's territory,
Speaker 1: and in eighteen ninety seven they were finally given the
Speaker 1: opportunity to act on them desires, setting into motion the
Speaker 1: chain of events which would ultimately bring about the looting
Speaker 1: of the Benin Bronzes. The British had hoped to use
Speaker 1: military force to topple the Oba and the Kingdom of
Speaker 1: Benin for some time, but they had always refrained for
Speaker 1: one reason or another. It was a tenacious acting Consul
Speaker 1: General of the Niger Coast Protectorate named James Robert Phillips
Speaker 1: who defied orders and in January eighteen ninety seven headed
Speaker 1: towards Edo to begin efforts to topple the Oba Oba
Speaker 1: Ovan Ramwin. As Phillips and his crew trekked through the
Speaker 1: forest towards Edo, they sent add a message to the
Speaker 1: Oba that they wished to discuss trade and peace in
Speaker 1: the region. In reality, they hoped to take the capital
Speaker 1: by force and either force the Oba into submission or
Speaker 1: to capture him. The Oba sent soldiers with a message
Speaker 1: for Phillips to halt. The Obo was unable to welcome
Speaker 1: any guests at that time, as it was the Igy
Speaker 1: festival and he had ceremonial duties to attend to. Further,
Speaker 1: if Phillips wanted to enter the capital later, he would
Speaker 1: have to come alone, attended only by a local chief.
Speaker 1: Phillips refused to heed that request and the multiple reiterations
Speaker 1: of it that followed, and the expedition pressed on. On
Speaker 1: January fourth, as Phillips and his men marched closer to
Speaker 1: the capital, Edo's soldiers ambushed them. Without even emerging from
Speaker 1: the foliage. Soldiers fired at the troop, killing all but
Speaker 1: two members of the British expedition. This act, which could
Speaker 1: be interpreted as an act of defense or an act
Speaker 1: of aggression, gave the British the opportunity they needed to
Speaker 1: invade the Kingdom of Edo and topple the Oba and
Speaker 1: the kingdom once and for all. Immediately upon hearing of
Speaker 1: the massacre, the British launched what they labeled a punitive expedition.
Speaker 1: They assigned Admiral Sir Harry Rawson, who we met in
Speaker 1: the beginning of the episode, to lead the charge. The
Speaker 1: name Punitive Expedition reveals the sentiment behind raws and mission,
Speaker 1: which was to take Benin city and, if possible, capture
Speaker 1: the Oba. He assembled a force of about twelve hundred
Speaker 1: men and on February ninth headed up the Niger River
Speaker 1: and into the forest towards Edo. While they didn't know
Speaker 1: exactly where they needed to head to get to the capitol,
Speaker 1: as few British had ever made it to the city,
Speaker 1: their determination wiped away any doubt in their minds. This
Speaker 1: anchoring proved helpful as they faced attacks from Edo's soldiers
Speaker 1: who were trying to protect their kingdom and their king
Speaker 1: The Edo's soldiers stayed hidden in the trees, therefore able
Speaker 1: to attack with the elements of surprise without revealing themselves
Speaker 1: and opening themselves up to attack in return. Despite the
Speaker 1: best defensive efforts of the Edo's soldiers, just over a
Speaker 1: week after the British launched their Punitive expedition, they captured
Speaker 1: the city by force. As I discussed in the opening
Speaker 1: of the episode. Admiral Rawson and his men were able
Speaker 1: to wander the city freely, as it had been abandoned
Speaker 1: by the Oba, who would surrender himself to the British
Speaker 1: later that year. Rawson's expedition's most important find was the
Speaker 1: Benin Bronzes. The British had mixed reactions to the bronzes,
Speaker 1: all of which, however, were tainted by their racist beliefs.
Speaker 1: On one end of the spectrum, Officer Ralph Moore declared
Speaker 1: they had been quote hideously constructed. Reginald Bacon, the most
Speaker 1: complimentary of the bunch, wouldn't even attribute the brilliant and
Speaker 1: talent of the artwork to the Edo people, instead suggesting
Speaker 1: that the pieces were quote suggestive of almost Egyptian design
Speaker 1: and of quote Chinese work. Regardless of the British opinions,
Speaker 1: the British, ever, conscious of money, recognized the value in
Speaker 1: these pieces of art and swiftly packed them up. The
Speaker 1: bronzes were eventually brought to London, where forty per cent
Speaker 1: of the looted art was accessioned by the British Museum.
Speaker 1: Another chunk given to the soldiers of the expedition as
Speaker 1: trophies and the rest were sold largely to museums around
Speaker 1: the world and in the hands of others. Was where
Speaker 1: the Benin Bronzes would remain for decades. The punitive expedition
Speaker 1: ultimately brought about the end of the Kingdom of Edo
Speaker 1: as the reigning power in the Niger Delta. After the
Speaker 1: sack of Itedo or Benin City, the Kingdom of Benin
Speaker 1: became absorbed into the British Colony of Nigeria. However, the
Speaker 1: Edo people did not just disappear as the British assumed
Speaker 1: control of their land, nor did the monarchy entirely dissolve.
Speaker 1: In fact, the Kingdom of Edo still exists within the
Speaker 1: Nigerian state and there is a currently reigning Oba. Youare
Speaker 1: the second, the fortieth in an unbroken line of rulers.
Speaker 1: Efforts in Nigeria to reclaim the bronzes began in the
Speaker 1: nineteen thirties and really took hold after Nigerian independence from
Speaker 1: Britain in nineteen sixty. It wasn't until twenty twenty one,
Speaker 1: over one hundred years after the sack of Edo and
Speaker 1: almost one hundred years after Nigerian's first started calling for repatriation,
Speaker 1: that their efforts finally bore fruit when Jesus College, Cambridge
Speaker 1: returned the first Benin bronze, a brass casting of a
Speaker 1: cockrel to Nigeria. Hundreds of pieces have since been returned
Speaker 1: to Nigeria or Nigerian ownership. I specified Nigerian ownership because
Speaker 1: some pieces are still located in museums in for example, Germany,
Speaker 1: but as opposed to being owned by that museum, they
Speaker 1: are now there on loan. The question remains, however, who
Speaker 1: in Nigeria should get ownership over the pieces of art.
Speaker 1: Some argue that the Oba and royal family of the
Speaker 1: Kingdom of Benin should have ownership over the pieces, after all,
Speaker 1: these sculptures and reliefs were originally created as religious pieces
Speaker 1: for use by the royal family. Others argue that the
Speaker 1: Nigerian state should have ownership over the pieces, which should
Speaker 1: be displayed in museums like the new Edo Museum of
Speaker 1: West African Art. Unfortunately, this debate over ownership has created
Speaker 1: tension within Nigeria over the objects and has slowed down
Speaker 1: the repatriation process. But the Nigerian government and the Nigerian
Speaker 1: people continue to advocate to bring home the beautiful objects
Speaker 1: known as the Benin Bronzes. Only time will tell when
Speaker 1: or if they will ever be fully returned to Edo.
Speaker 1: That's the story of the Benin Bronzes. But keep listening
Speaker 1: after a brief sponsor break to hear about a fascinating
Speaker 1: discovery about where the material for the bronzes actually came from. Earlier,
Speaker 1: I touched briefly on how the Kingdom of Edo benefited
Speaker 1: from the slave trade with Europeans. As the Edo conquered
Speaker 1: more territory, they would sell their prisoners of war from
Speaker 1: those battles to first the Portuguese and later the British.
Speaker 1: We know how important these trade relationships were to the
Speaker 1: Edo because they made reliefs that featured Portuguese traders. As
Speaker 1: I discussed, the bronzes chronicled the history of the Edo
Speaker 1: people in addition to acting as religious objects. Clearly, the
Speaker 1: Portuguese were important enough to the Edo's history that they
Speaker 1: felt compelled to preserve their image. But the connection between
Speaker 1: the Benin Bronzes and the Portuguese slave trade goes deeper
Speaker 1: than just some de pictions of Europeans. Scientists and archaeologists
Speaker 1: have been working for decades to determine the source of
Speaker 1: the brass used in the metal pieces of the Benine
Speaker 1: bronzes as a reminder, the bronzes were not actually made
Speaker 1: of bronze, or not all of them. Brass is an
Speaker 1: alloy mainly composed of zinc and copper, but also includes
Speaker 1: other elements for our purposes, the most important of these
Speaker 1: additional metals is lead. By studying the lead isotopes in
Speaker 1: the pieces, scholars can determine the origins of the brass. Now,
Speaker 1: it's long been suspected that the brass for the Benin
Speaker 1: bronzes came from manilas, or brass rings that the Portuguese
Speaker 1: used as currency when trading enslaved peoples with West African tribes.
Speaker 1: So scholars put that hypothesis to the test and compare
Speaker 1: aired the composition of the bronzes to the composition of
Speaker 1: manilas recovered from five shipwrecks and three land sites in
Speaker 1: West Africa, Western Europe, and off the east coast of
Speaker 1: the United States. And as it turns out, the bronzes
Speaker 1: were indeed made of metal from the manilas, specifically early
Speaker 1: versions of the rings called taquis. So, in another meta
Speaker 1: moment in this episode, the reliefs depicting Portuguese traders were
Speaker 1: made out of the very metal that the Itedo received
Speaker 1: through trade from the Portuguese. Noble Blood is a production
Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild from Aaron Menkey. Noble
Speaker 1: Blood is hosted by me Danish Forts, with additional writing
Speaker 1: and researching by Hannah Johnston, Hannah Zewick, Courtney Sender, Julia Milani,
Speaker 1: and Armand Cassam. The show is edited and produced by
Speaker 1: Noemi Griffin and rema Il Kaali, with supervising producer Josh
Speaker 1: Thain and executive producers Aaron Mankey, Alex Williams and Matt Frederick.
Speaker 1: Four more podcasts from iHeartRadio. Visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.