They Didn't Teach Us - by Eulalai✨

---*The Benin Bronzes: The History They Didn't Teach Us in School* In 1897, the British Army burned down one of the most developed cities in Africa and took 4,000 artworks. Here is what really happened. *1. The Kingdom of Benin was not a village. It was an empire.* By the 1400s, Benin City (in present-day Edo State, Nigeria) had a palace that was bigger than any building in Europe at that time. A Portuguese visitor in 1485 wrote: "The city is large and well organized." The city was surrounded by walls. Not small walls. The Walls of Benin were 16,000 kilometers long. For comparison, the Great Wall of China is 21,000km. These walls were built by hand, over 600 years, and Guinness Book of Records listed them as the largest earthwork in the world. *2. The Bronzes were not for decoration. They were history books.* From the 13th century, Benin artisans made over 4,000 bronze and brass plaques using the lost-wax technique. This technique requires heating bronze to 1,000 degrees. Each plaque recorded an event. Queen Idia who led her son's army to victory in the 1500s. Oba Ewuare who expanded the kingdom. Trade with the Portuguese in 1486. Before white men came with paper, Benin was already documenting its history in metal that could last 1,000 years. *3. What happened in February 1897?* Britain wanted control of Benin's palm oil and rubber trade. After a dispute where 7 British officials were killed, Britain sent a Punitive Expedition of 1,200 soldiers armed with Maxim guns. Benin City was defended but overwhelmed. For three days, soldiers looted and burned. The Royal Palace that took 900 years to build was destroyed. They took everything: 4,000 bronzes, coral crowns, ivory masks, the Oba's throne, ancestral altars, and even palace doors. *4. Where are they today?* British Museum, London: 900 pieces.Ethnological Museum, Berlin: 500 pieces.Met Museum, New York: 200 pieces.Benin City, Nigeria: Less than 100 pieces. In 2022, Germany agreed to return 1,100 pieces. The conversation about restitution is still ongoing. So when someone says Africa had no written history or civilization before colonization, remember Benin. We had a city with street lights (palm oil lamps), a palace with bronze walls, and a history department made of metal. *Question:* Should all the Benin Bronzes be returned to Nigeria, or should they stay in foreign museums for the world to see? Let's discuss in comments. ---

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