Characterisation of Obsidian Artefacts in Northern Nigerian Museum Collections

Obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass, is rare in West African prehistoric assemblages but its presence carries significant implications for understanding long-distance exchange and raw material procurement networks. This study characterises obsidian artefacts held in the collections of three northern Nigerian museums, focusing on morphological description, technological classification, and macroscopic source attribution based on colour and texture. The research was prompted by the identification of unstudied obsidian pieces in the storerooms of the Jos Museum, the Kaduna Museum, and the Kano Museum, several of which lack provenance documentation. A total of thirty-two pieces were examined, classified into categories including flakes, blades, cores, and retouched tools. Macroscopic examination suggests at least two distinct raw material types, one showing banded grey-green colouration consistent with Ethiopian Rift Valley sources and another with characteristics resembling Central Saharan material. The study acknowledges that macroscopic attribution is provisional and calls for geochemical analysis using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to confirm source assignments. If Ethiopian origin is confirmed for any specimens, the finds would constitute rare evidence of extremely long-distance exchange reaching northern Nigeria in prehistory. The research advocates for comprehensive inventory and digital cataloguing of museum collections as a prerequisite for meaningful comparative analysis. It also recommends the establishment of a national reference database for lithic raw materials. Keywords: obsidian, museum collections, northern Nigeria, lithic technology, raw material exchange.