The story of the Benin bronzes is one Timothy Awoyemi, a British-Nigerian police officer, knows well.
Like all schoolchildren in Nigeria, he was taught of the murderous 1897 raid when British soldiers plundered Benin City, stealing a priceless array of metal sculptures.
So, unlike his United Kingdom-educated colleague Steve Dunstone, Awoyemi was not entirely puzzled by the scribbled note thrust suddenly into their hands: “Please help return the Benin bronzes.”
It was 2004 and the pair were on a police outreach expedition, delivering books and supplies to communities along the Niger River.
Having received a hearty welcome in the small town of Agenebode, Awoyemi and Dunstone were about to depart, when a man pushed forward with the piece of paper.
From Germany to Ireland, a fresh push to return the Benin bronzes msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Medievalists.net
Menu
In 1533, the Bom Jesus – a Portuguese trading vessel carrying 40 tons of cargo including gold, silver, copper and more than 100 elephant tusks – sank off the coast of Africa near present-day Namibia. The wreck was found in 2008, and scientists say they now have determined the source of much of the ivory recovered from the ship.
Their study, reported in the journal
Current Biology, used various techniques, including a genomic analysis of DNA extracted from the well-preserved tusks, to determine the species of elephants, their geographic origins and the types of landscapes they lived in before they were killed for their tusks.