Hello, my name is Ms. Cranitch, and I'm delighted that you've joined me.

In this lesson, historians, we are going to use our inquiry skills and embark on a journey to learn about some ancient artefacts that tell a fascinating story.

This lesson is entitled the Benin bronzes, and is part of the Non-European Society's unit.

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to explain what the Benin bronzes are, where many of them can be found today and what Nigeria has requested of the British Museum.

Phew! That's a mouthful.

Well, let's get started.

But before we get onto the main parts of the lesson, there are some key words that I would like to introduce you to.

These words will come up during the lesson, so you might want to make a note of them so that you can refer back to your notes when we encounter them.

The words are Benin, artefact, Nigeria, heritage, repatriation.

Now I'm going to say them again, but this time, I would like you to read them with me.

Here we go.

Benin, artefact, Nigeria, heritage, repatriation.

Well, let's find out what the words mean.

Benin, or the Kingdom of Benin, was a kingdom with what is now known as southern Nigeria and home to the Edo people.

Artefact, an artefact is an item of historical interest made by people in the past.

Nigeria, Nigeria is a large West African country situated on the Atlantic Ocean.

Heritage, a heritage is the history, traditions, and artefacts that are handed down by previous generations.

Repatriation, repatriation means to send something back to the country it came from.

Now you might want to pause the video here so that you can make a note of these words and when you are ready to start the lesson, press play.

This lesson about the Benin bronzes has three learning cycles, and the first one's entitled 5,000 bronze artefacts.

Let's take a moment to study this image.

There are approximately 5,000 similar artefacts to this one.

And for the last 125 years, many people have had the joy to visit museums across the globe to marvel at these stunning works of art.

They are collectively known as the Benin bronzes.

But what are the Benin bronzes? Let's delve into the history of these incredible treasures to find out what they can teach us.

The Benin bronzes are a series of beautifully crafted artefacts in the form of plaques and sculptures that show pictures of religious events, ceremonies, kings, and warriors.

They have been on display worldwide since 1897.

I can't help but wonder what might have happened in 1897 for these precious artworks to suddenly be exhibited around the world even to this day.

The Benin bronzes are artworks that were made by craftsmen from the ancient Kingdom of Benin.

The kingdom no longer exists, but it was located in the southwestern part of a country, now known as Nigeria.

The bronzes were mostly created between the 13th and 16th centuries when Henry VII, Henry VIII, and Elizabeth I ruled in England.

The artefacts show pictures and symbols that tell stories about the history and culture of the kingdom and are therefore an important part of the kingdom's heritage.

They are unique to the Kingdom of Benin.

Nowhere else has artefacts, quite like these been made, so they are indeed very special.

The artefacts also give historians and archaeologists important clues about the kingdom and the where they were made.

Well, there was quite a lot of new information to take in, so let's check our understanding before we move on.

Why are the Benin bronzes an important part of the ancient Kingdom of Benin heritage? Is it, a, because they are artefacts that represent the country's history and culture.

B, because they are artefacts that are very old and don't belong to anyone.

C, because they're artefacts that are too beautiful to throw away.

Pause the video here, and when you are ready for the answer, press play.

Well, the Benin bronzes are an important part of the ancient kingdom's heritage because they are artefacts that represent the country's culture and history.

And if got that right, well done.

A very interesting fact about the Benin bronzes is that some of them aren't even made of bronze.

Some are made of brass, which is a mixture of two metals, copper and zinc.

It's the brass finish that gives them a shiny golden look.

Other bronzes are made from a mixture of bronze and brass.

Sometimes these artworks also include other materials like wood and ivory.

Here is another check for understanding.

Use these words and phrases to help you tell your learning partners some interesting facts about the Benin bronzes.

The words and phrases are Kingdom of Benin, brass, plaques and statues, 1897.

Pause the video here to give yourself enough time to tell your learning partner some facts and when you are ready for an answer, press play.

Here is an example of an answer that you could have given.

The Benin bronzes are bronze and brass plaques and statues that were made in the ancient Kingdom of Benin.

They have been on display in museums around the world since 1897.

Well done if you manage to use all of those words and phrases.

We are now ready for the first learning task of this lesson.

The learning task has two parts.

Here's the first part, which of the following statements about the Benin bronzes are true and which are false? Here are the statements.

The Benin bronzes are plaques and statues found recently in Nigeria.

Historians and archaeologists have used them to learn about the kingdom.

Thousands of these artefacts have been housed in museums across the world since 1897.

The Benin bronzes are all made of pure bronze.

Pause the video here, and once you have decided which statements are true and which are false, press play.

Let's check to see which of the statements are true and which are false.

The Benin bronzes are plaques and statues found recently in Nigeria, that statement is false.

Historians and archaeologists have used them to learn about the kingdom, that one is true.

Thousands of artefacts have been housed in museums across the world since 1897, that one is also true.

And the Benin and bronzes are all made of pure bronze, that statement is false.

So what does the second part of this learning task ask us? It says correct the false statements.

The two false statements were, the Benin bronzes are plaques and statues found recently in Nigeria.

The other false statement is the Benin bronzes are all made of pure bronze.

Pause the video here, and once you have corrected those false statements, press play to check your answers.

The first corrected statement is the Benin bronzes are plaques and statues from the ancient Kingdom of Benin, not modern day Nigeria.

The second corrected statement is that the Benin bronzes are made of bronze and brass, which is a mixture of copper and zinc.

So they weren't made of pure bronze.

Well done if you got those correct.

The next learning cycle is entitled the Benin expedition.

Here is a photo of one of the Benin bronzes that is housed in a museum in Dallas in the United States of America.

Certainly is a long way from where it was made.

So, how did the Benin bronzes find their way to museums around the world? Why did they not remain in the Kingdom of Benin where they were made? Let's find out.

In 1897, the British army decided to invade Benin city, which was the capital of the Kingdom of Benin.

This is because in the late 1800s, the British Empire wanted to expand its control over more lands.

They were interested in the Kingdom of Benin because of its valuable resources and its rich culture.

The British army with its soldiers and guns was led by a man named Captain Phillips.

While the British forces were there, they took all the city's royal treasures, which included the Benin bronzes.

This invasion is known as the Benin expedition.

Here is a statement say whether it is true or false.

During the Benin expedition, British explorers found the Benin bronzes buried underground, is that statement true or false? Pause the video here, and when you are ready for the answer, press play.

That answer, of course, is false.

Let's justify our answer.

In other words, let's give a reason why we say the answer is false.

Is it because, a, the British army invaded the capital of the Kingdom of Benin and took the Benin bronzes away, or b, the British army invaded the capital of the Kingdom of Benin and found the Benin bronzes buried underground.

Pause the video here, and when you are ready for the answer, press play.

The answer, of course, is a.

It was the British army, not British explorers who invaded the capital and they did not find them underground.

Well done if you got that correct.

The bronzes were brought to Britain by the returning soldiers of the Benin expedition.

Some of the bronzes were kept by the soldiers while some were sold to museums in the United Kingdom, to museums in Europe and to museums in America.

Almost a thousand of the bronzes were sold to the British Museum in London, where they have been on display ever since.

Well, there have been many debates about who should really own such special cultural treasures like the Benin bronzes.

And how historical events such as the Benin expedition have affected who gets to keep these historical artefacts? Those people who say that the artefact should be returned follow a pro-repatriation argument.

They say that artefacts that were taken a long time ago should be repatriated and sent back to their home countries so that everyone there can enjoy them.

Citizens of that country can learn about them and feel proud of their history, traditions, and culture.

On the other hand, the anti-repatriation argument says that it's good to keep the artefacts in big museums around the world so that more people from different places can see them and learn about them.

They believe these museums help everyone understand and appreciate different cultures from all over the world.

It's a big discussion about fairness, history, and making sure everyone's culture is respected.

Which of the arguments is pro-repatriation and which is anti-repatriation of the artefacts? Tick the correct column.

Here are the arguments.

They belong in their home country because they are an important part of the heritage.

More people can learn about them when they are in museums around the world.

Pause the video here, and when you are ready for the answer, press play.

So let's find out.

The first argument is pro-repatriation.

The artefacts belong in their home country because they are an important part of the country's heritage.

The second statement is anti-repatriation because they say that more people can learn about them when they are in museums around the world.

Well done if you've got that correct.

And that brings us to task B of this lesson.

It says, read the arguments for and against repatriation.

Again, who do you agree with and why? Jun says, the artefacts should be sent back to their home countries so everyone there can learn about and feel proud of their own history, traditions, and cultures.

Lucas says it's good to keep the artefacts in big museums around the world because more people from different places can see them and learn about them.

Pause the video here, and when you are ready for the answer, press play.

Let's investigate some possible answers.

You could have agreed with Jun.

I agree with Jun because the artefacts are part of the country's heritage.

People living in that country should be the ones to say what happens to their cultural goods.

On the other hand, you might have agreed with Lucas, you could have said, I agree with Lucas because people have a better chance of learning about others cultures, traditions, and heritage if the artefacts are in museums around the world.

Well done.

We have now come to the third learning cycle of this lesson and it is called a request for repatriation.

In 2021, Nigeria, the country, where the Kingdom of Benin used to be located asked the British museum if they could have the Benin bronzes back.

They argued that the artefacts were stolen from the country in 1897 during the Benin expedition.

Nigeria has asked for the repatriation of the Benin bronzes because these special artefacts are an important part of their historical and cultural heritage.

They would like the bronzes to come back to Nigeria to celebrate their past, feel proud of the history, and to share these treasures with everyone in their own country.

They are planning to build a dedicated museum for the Benin bronzes in Nigeria.

But so far the British museum has not returned the bronzes.

Let's see how much we can remember of what we have just learned.

Which of these is not a reason requesting the repatriation of the Benin bronzes to Nigeria? A, they are a part of the historical and cultural heritage.

B, they are worth a lot of money.

C, to share with everyone in the country.

D, to be proud of the country's traditions.

Pause the video here, and when you are ready for the answer, press play.

The reason that is the odd one out here is that they're worth a lot of money.

Well done if you got that correct.

We have now come to the last task of this lesson.

It says, write a letter to the British museum requesting the repatriation of the Benin bronzes to Nigeria.

Your letter should include these words and phrases, Benin Expedition, 1897, 5,000 artefacts, museums, and heritage.

Pause the video here, and when you are ready for the answer, press play.

Here is an example of an answer that you could have given, it says, to the British Museum, during the Benin expedition in 1897, 5,000 artefacts known as the Benin bronzes were taken by the British and sold to museums around the world including the British Museum.

We request the repatriation of these artefacts because they are a part of our cultural and historical heritage.

We will also look after them better because we are building a museum dedicated to these exquisite treasures.

Yours faithfully, and then you sign it with your name.

Well done if your letter has included all the words and phrases highlighted in blue.

We have come to the end of our lesson, but before we go, let's summarise what we have learned.

In 1897, British troops took 5,000 artefacts known as the Benin bronzes from Benin city, the capital of the historical Kingdom of Benin.

The bronzes are plaques and statues that tell the history of the kingdom.

They aren't made of pure bronze, but a mixture of bronze and brass.

The Benin bronzes are now housed in museums across the world, including British museum in London.

In 2021, the British Museum received a request for the repatriation of the Benin bronzes to Nigeria, but as yet, the bronzes have not been returned.

Thank you for joining me in this lesson.

I have really enjoyed supporting you with a learning material and resources, and I hope see you again very soon.