The Nok culture was an early Iron Age society in what is now central Nigeria, and it is known for its terracotta sculptures, among the earliest large-scale figurative art in sub-Saharan Africa. The statues, which depict human and animal figures with elaborate hairstyles and jewellery, were first brought to attention when tin miners found them in the 1940s. The Nok people also appear to have smelted iron at an early date, though how this technology reached the region is debated. Archaeologists know little about their society, since few settlements have been excavated, and the reasons for their decline are uncertain. The culture is named after the village of Nok.
Before and after
- c. 1,507 BCEBirth of Hatshepsut
- from 16th century BCE to 5th century BCEVedic period
- 16th century BCEVedas
- from 16th century BCE to 3rd century BCEMumun pottery period
- from 16th century BCE to 1st century BCENok culture
- from c. 1,500 BCE to 500 BCELapita
- c. 1,500 BCERigveda
- c. 1,500 BCEOrigins of Zoroastrianism
- c. 1,460 BCEEruption of Taupo
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The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires.