Investigating The Origins Of The Oyo Empire War Horses Using Strontium Isotope Analysis

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Oyo Empire reigned over what is today southeastern Benin and southwestern Nigeria. Oyo was notorious for its use of a cavalry despite a climate harboring many fatal equine diseases, yet it remained unclear where in West Africa their horses had been bred and raised. In this study, we conducted strontium isotope analysis in a faunal assemblage from the archeological site of Ede-Ile (Nigeria), analyzing 37 teeth from 28 horse specimens, alongside soil samples from two prominent Oyo Empire sites (Ede-Ile and Oyo-Ile). Particularly by comparing early and late forming teeth from the same horses and by referring to a strontium isoscape of the region, we reconstruct from where and what age horses were brought to Oyo centers of power or, in rare cases, successfully reared within southern Oyo.  This research uses biogeochemistry to explore the complex trading network of equids within West Africa.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2025

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow