ABSTRACT
Archaeological researches in Kano State in the last 3 decades that tried to infer the use to

which some excavated large pots must have been put, faced problems. These include incomplete

analysis and correlated study of the vessels, lack of wide circulation of reports of past researches

and changes associated with cultural contexts as well as technical systems of pottery

manufacture of the people involved. Almost all of these pots were recovered through poor rescue

excavation with no accompanying archaeological reports. Through the use of methods such as

ethnographic survey, oral tradition, and archaeological study, my research on the

ethnoarchaeological study of large pots carried out at Dawakin Tofa 20km away from Kano City

indicates that the activities of the dominant potters in the area (Bambadawa- Fulani) resulted in

the spread and subsequent excavation of these large pots in the Kano area. The research

scrutinized the process of pottery manufacture in the area through observation and questioning

specified behavior that might have accounted for the archaeological material culture patterning

those pots. Through this, it was ascertained that the pots seem to be similar in form; groove,

incised decorations, and the use of slip are still practiced. Contextually, the pots were deeply

buried because the only documented pot (excavated at 210cm depth) have no cultural layer

above the one it was excavated. Thus, indicating that it was intentionally buried contrary to the

idea of an abandoned dyeing pot which could have been covered by natural sedimentation

process. The pots were perhaps used for ritual purposes because they are also related to ritual

sites. However, ethnoarchaeology is not an end in itself but one of the many tools which can be

used to refine our explanation and understanding of the past. Careful collection and preservation

of cultural products, proper Historical documentation for empirical data base is recommended

because contextual information matter most to archaeologists.