ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF CULTURAL INTERACTIONS: A STUDY OF DIKIBIN SETTLEMENT, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigates the settlement history and cultural dynamics of Dikibin, an ancient hilltop site in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. By employing archaeological survey and excavations of both a Rock Shelter and an Open Field Settlement within the abandoned Dikibin hill top settlement, the study reconstructs a multi-phase chronology of human occupation. Findings reveal an initial period of insular, utilitarian pottery production, which was later disrupted by a significant "horizon of change" marked by the sudden appearance of complex decorative motifs, specifically Incision and strip roulette. This shift suggests that external cultural interactions potentially through trade, migration, or intermarriage acted as catalysts for settlement reorganization and technological changes. The study concludes that the Dikibin community was a dynamic society that strategically utilized its landscape, transitioning from a cautious, vertically organized rock shelter-based life to an integrated, multifaceted settlement system.