Starter quiz
- The ancient Kingdom of Benin was located in modern day ______.
- Britain
- Nigeria ✓
- India
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- Nigeria has asked that the Benin Bronzes be repatriated. What does 'repatriated' mean?
- to send something back to the country it came from ✓
- to give something a new name
- to have ancient artefacts cleaned
- to buy artefacts from a museum
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- The capital of the Kingdom of Benin was ______.
- 'Benin City' ✓
- Match the word to its meaning.
- Oba⇔the ruler of the Edo people ✓
- Benin Bronzes⇔bronze and brass artefacts made by the Edo people ✓
- Nigeria⇔a country in West Africa ✓
- What is a manilla?
- an envelope
- a capital city
- a brass, bronze or copper bracelet ✓
- a gold bracelet
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- What was the Benin Expedition?
- In 1897, British tourists visited Benin City and bought the Bronzes as souvenirs
- In 1897, the Edo people gifted the Benin Bronzes to the British Museum.
- In 1897, British forces invaded and looted the Benin Bronzes from Benin City. ✓
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Exit quiz
- Why would Nigeria like to have the Benin Bronzes repatriated?
- They are an important part of their heritage. ✓
- They are worth a lot of money.
- They originated in Nigeria. ✓
- They make lovely decorations for the Oba's palace.
-
- Match the word to its meaning.
- curator⇔someone who looks after artefacts in a museum ✓
- descendants⇔the people who come after someone else in a family ✓
- ancestors⇔the people who came before you in your family ✓
- Nigeria is in ______ Africa.
- North
- South
- East
- West ✓
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- What does British law prevent the British museum from doing?
- displaying artefacts that were looted from other countries
- returning artefacts to their country of origin ✓
- displaying artefacts that show enslaved people
-
- Who is against the repatriation of the Benin Bronzes?
- the descendants of the enslaved people from the Kingdom of Benin ✓
- the ancestors of the enslaved people from the Kingdom of Benin
- the Oba of Benin
- Nigeria
-
- The Benin Bronzes were made from ______ manilla.
- clay
- brass ✓
- gold
- silver
-
Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Whether or not the British Museum should return its Benin Bronzes has caused lots of arguments.
- Nigeria argues that they should be returned because they were originally taken from Benin City without permission.
- Some museums have returned looted Edo artwork to Nigeria, but British law prevents the British Museum from doing so.
- In the USA, descendants of West African enslaved people are trying to stop the return of Edo artwork to Nigeria.
- This is because some of the art was made using metals that were traded by Europeans for enslaved people.
Common misconception
The Benin Bronzes were created for trade with Europeans.
The Benin Bronzes were created to serve as significant cultural and religious artefacts within the Benin Kingdom and made from the manilla used as payment for goods.
Keywords
Descendants - descendants are people who come after someone else in a family
Ancestors - ancestors are the people who came before you in your family; they are a family's older generations
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