Radiocarbon Dating Evidence and Chronology of Human Occupation at Iwo Eleru, Ondo State

Iwo Eleru rockshelter in Ondo State holds a position of exceptional significance in West African paleoanthropology following the discovery of a partial cranium with archaic morphological features dated to approximately eleven thousand years before present, alongside a rich Later Stone Age cultural sequence. This study reviews and synthesises all published radiocarbon dating evidence from Iwo Eleru and its immediate region, critically evaluating sampling strategies, date reliability, and the chronological framework they produce for human occupation spanning the Late Pleistocene to the Late Holocene. A total of twenty-six radiocarbon dates from published sources were compiled and assessed using OxCal Bayesian modelling software, distinguishing statistically valid date clusters from outliers and evaluating the consistency of dates with their reported stratigraphic positions. Results confirm a cultural sequence extending from at least thirteen thousand years before present in the lower levels through to approximately two thousand years before present in the uppermost deposits, with a possible hiatus in occupation between approximately seven and five thousand years before present that may correspond to regional climatic deterioration. The study discusses the implications of the archaic cranium's date for models of human migration and population continuity in West Africa, engaging with recent ancient DNA research that identifies deep population lineages in the region. Recommendations for future research include AMS dating of the cranium itself and excavation of deposits below the current limit of investigation. Keywords: radiocarbon dating, Iwo Eleru, Later Stone Age, Ondo State, chronology.