ABSTRACT
The
focus of this research is archaeological reconnaissance of settlement
sites at Pauwa, one of the numerous hill settlements occupied by the
early inhabitants of Pauwa. The aim is to use archaeology to reconstruct
the settlement history of the sites. The research presents the
preliminary survey carried out on four identified sites; these include
Barebari, Malikawa, Falale and Kurkutawa. The survey was achieved
through field walking with a hand-held Global Positioning System.
Surface finds and features identified were defensive walls, circular
house foundations, dye pits, grinding stones, iron slag and potsherds.
Potsherds were collected from the hilltop and on the plain, and were
analyzed based on paste characteristics, vessel parts, vessel forms,
decorative motif and surface finish. The research adopted historical
archaeology as a theoretical framework. Through this, a comprehensive
study of historic sites can be achieved. The study is incomplete in some
important respects; we have not yet established the relationship of the
sites within the hills and the present settlements. This is due to
complexities in the oral tradition collected and the limited survey that
was done in the sites. Systematic excavation and ethno-archaeological
study of the sites need to be carried out in order to understand the
settlement history of the area. Despite this limitation, the study find
out that the sites serve as important centers of habitation and crafts.
This observation however is tentative and more research is needed in
explaining the settlement history in Pauwa and Katsina in general.