ABSTRACT
The
focus of this research is to conduct an archaeological survey of
Umhah-abisi hill-top settlement site located in Lere Local Government
Area of Kaduna state, Nigeria. The aim is to reconstruct the history of
the Abisi people using the archaeological materials on the site. This
was achieved with the following objectives which include; to study and
document archaeological evidence found on the site through
archaeological survey, to collect and document the oral tradition about
the Abisi people, to produce an archaeological map for the site which
will show the spatial distribution of finds and features, that can serve
as a reference point for further research works. The methods that were
adopted during the research includes the use of written records which
were very helpful because they helped in our knowledge about the history
of the people, the use of oral tradition which strongly suggest that
Umhah-abisi was the earliest settlement of the Abisi people, it was also
used to understand the meaning and functions of finds and features
found on the site. Archaeological survey helped in the identification
and documentation of finds and features, and finally classification and
analysis of finds and features were employed in the research. The
research revealed finds and features on the site which includes;
potsherds, lower grinding stone, house foundations, monoliths, graves,
sacred stones, water grove, shrine and buried pots which were the
cultural materials used by the Abisi people on settlement. The study
conducted on Umhah-abisi hill-top settlement site, shows that the
hill-top served as security for the Abisi people. The study has provided
useful information and also further research is needed in explaining
the historical knowledge about the Abisi people.