Gender and Division of Labour in Iron Age Communities of the Middle Benue Valley, Nasarawa State

Archaeological investigations of gender roles in pre-colonial Nigerian communities have increased substantially in recent years, driven by feminist theory and social archaeology frameworks that challenge androcentric interpretations of the past. This study examines evidence for gendered division of labour at Iron Age sites in Nasarawa State's Middle Benue Valley, using material culture distributions, spatial analysis of activity areas, and ethnoarchaeological analogy derived from contemporary Tiv and Idoma communities. Published excavation reports from Taruga and related sites provide primary archaeological data, supplemented by new surface collection data gathered from three localities in Nasarawa. The analysis considers the spatial segregation of smelting debris and agricultural processing equipment, arguing that consistent patterning in their distribution may reflect gendered task organization in domestic space. Oral historical testimonies from elderly informants in Lafia and Doma describe traditional labour divisions that allocate iron smelting to men and clay extraction, pottery production, and grain processing to women, providing an analogical bridge to the material evidence. The study engages critically with the limitations of applying ethnographic present analogy to Iron Age contexts and advocates for hypothesis-driven testing through future excavation rather than uncritical analogical projection. It contributes a theoretical and methodological framework for gender archaeology applicable to undergraduate-level research across Nigeria. Keywords: gender archaeology, Iron Age, division of labour, Nasarawa State, Middle Benue Valley.