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Maps & Artifacts
The objects and maps that prove the story β from the Catalan Atlas to the Benin Bronzes.
Things carry memory too. Maps, bronzes, manuscripts and coins are primary evidence β the physical proof historians build on. Each item below is searchable and tagged by region. Click an itemβs museum link to see the real object.
Photographs of the real objects. Where an artefact is held in a museum, we show the actual object β the Rosetta Stone, the Ife heads, Igbo-Ukwu bronzes, Nok terracotta, the soapstone birds of Great Zimbabwe. Every photograph is public domain or openly licensed, credited, and linked to its source.
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The Catalan Atlas (1375)
West Africa Β· Europe
The medieval world map that shows Mansa Musa enthroned with a golden orb β proof his fame reached Europe.
π BibliothΓ¨que nationale de France Β· gallica.bnf.fr
π₯
The Benin Bronzes
West Africa Β· Nigeria
Thousands of lost-wax brass plaques from the royal palace of Benin, looted in 1897. Now at the centre of repatriation.
π British Museum + Nigeria
Benin bronze plaque β British Museum (Joy of Museums) Β· CC BY-SA 4.0. Source β
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The Great Zimbabwe Birds
Southern Africa
Soapstone birds carved at Great Zimbabwe β now the emblem of the nation that took the ruins' name.
π National Museums of Zimbabwe
Soapstone birds of Great Zimbabwe β James Theodore Bent Β· Public domain. Source β
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The Rosetta Stone
North Africa Β· Egypt
The trilingual stone that unlocked hieroglyphs in 1822.
π British Museum
The Rosetta Stone β Txllxt TxllxT Β· CC BY-SA 4.0. Source β
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The Aksum Obelisks
East & Horn Β· Ethiopia
The largest stelae ever quarried in antiquity β one was looted by Italy in 1937 and returned in 2005.
π Aksum Β· UNESCO site
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The Ife Heads
West Africa Β· Nigeria
Naturalistic terracotta and brass heads of Ife β among the finest portraits in world art.
π National Museum Lagos Β· British Museum
Brass head of an Ooni of Ife β Stephanie cheks Β· CC BY-SA 4.0. Source β
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The Timbuktu Manuscripts
West Africa Β· Mali
Hundreds of thousands of manuscripts on astronomy, law and poetry β Africa's great written archive.
π Timbuktu libraries Β· SAVAMA-DCI
Timbuktu manuscripts β UNESCO Bureau of Mali Β· CC BY-SA 3.0 igo. Source β
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The Nok Terracottas
West Africa Β· Nigeria
Some of the oldest figurative sculpture in Africa, made from about 1000 BC.
π National Museum Lagos
Nok terracotta head β Hiart Β· CC0. Source β
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The Igbo-Ukwu Bronzes
West Africa Β· Nigeria
The earliest lost-wax bronzes in West Africa, from about 900 AD.
π Nigerian National Museum
Igbo-Ukwu bronze vessel β Ochiwar Β· CC BY-SA 3.0. Source β
Igbo-Ukwu snail-shell vessel β Ochiwar Β· CC BY-SA 3.0. Source β
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The Lalibela Churches
East & Horn Β· Ethiopia
Eleven churches carved downward into living rock in the 12thβ13th century.
π Lalibela Β· UNESCO site
Rock-hewn church, Lalibela β RadosΕaw Botev Β· CC BY 3.0 pl. Source β
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The Mapungubwe Golden Rhino
Southern Africa
The golden rhino of Mapungubwe β a wealthy trading kingdom of the 13th century.
π University of Pretoria Museums
Gold rhino of Mapungubwe β Cool Art Β· CC BY-SA 2.0. Source β
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Kilwa Coins
East & Horn Β· Tanzania
Copper coins struck by the sultans of Kilwa, found as far away as Australia.
π British Museum Β· Tanzania
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The Lydenburg Heads
Southern Africa
Seven terracotta masks from about 500 AD β among the earliest African art south of the equator.
π Iziko Museums Β· South Africa
βοΈ
Manillas
West Africa
Copper and brass currencies used in the Atlantic trade for centuries β heavy with meaning.
π Various museums
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The Great Mosque of DjennΓ©
West Africa Β· Mali
The largest mud-brick building on earth β rebuilt by the whole town every year.
π DjennΓ© Β· UNESCO site
π
The Amanishakheto Treasure
North Africa Β· Kush
Gold jewellery from the pyramid of a Kushite queen, excavated at Meroe.
π Γgyptisches Museum Berlin (tragically)
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AfriLore Productions Β· The Voice of Africa Β· afrilore.org Β· Β© 2026 Lois Chukwu