In Ipetumodu, a historical town in Osun State, one of the oldest palaces in Yorubaland was pulled down on the grounds that it was “too old” and no longer befitting of a modern society. In that single act, a repository of history was erased. What had stood for generations as a cultural and historical marker was replaced with something new but without continuity. Evidence was destroyed, and a new narrative was constructed without a foundation. And yet, in the midst of such actions, we continue to call for conversations about identity. The contradiction is difficult to ignore: how do we discuss identity while dismantling the very evidence of our existence?

This is not an isolated incident. Across our cities and towns, we are quick to tear down historical buildings and replace them with modern structures, often without care or thought. With each demolition, something more than brick and timber disappears. We lose evidence of an era. We erase physical testimonies of who we once were, and in doing so, weaken our ability to understand who we are becoming. The consequences are not abstract. They are visible. Disciplines such as architecture now struggle with a clear sense of identity because the very structures that could have served as reference points have been lost. In their place, we import designs from elsewhere, putting up buildings that speak foreign languages on native soil. The past is not allowed to converse with the present, and so the future becomes disconnected. 

Gbolahan Ayoola, Excavation: Test Site 2, R136,758.00.

The Role of Archaeology

This is where archaeology, along with archiving and preservation, becomes essential. We cannot meaningfully discuss national or traditional identity while ignoring its role. How do we define our existence without grounding it in evidence? If culture is the story we tell about ourselves, archaeology is the discipline that tests that story against what the earth remembers. To understand and fill the gaps in our cultural history, we must dig, both literally and intellectually, to uncover facts that support, refine, or challenge our inherited narratives. 

My interest lies in advancing the importance of archaeology and preservation as it relates to human history in Nigeria and across Africa. For too long, conversations about African history have leaned heavily on oral and literary traditions. While these forms are rich and meaningful, they are also vulnerable to distortion over time. Memory bends, emphasis shifts, and each generation reshapes what it inherits. This does not invalidate these forms of documentation, but it reveals their limits when used in isolation. What strengthens history is corroboration. What stabilises identity is evidence. 

It is often argued that the gaps in African history exist because much of it was transmitted orally. While this is partly true, it is not the full picture. The deeper issue is the historical, and ongoing, lack of sustained archaeological investigation to support and verify these narratives. Without material evidence, history floats. What is told or written may be compelling, but it gains greater strength when it can be proven. Archaeology anchors history by providing objects, sites, dates, and physical traces that give clarity and structure to what might otherwise remain abstract. 

“Archaeology is the study of past human societies through their material remains.” — Colin Renfrew & Paul Bahn, Archaeology: Theories, Methods, and Practice

Gbolahan Ayoola, Continuum (Fragment), R569,480.00

This definition is simple, yet its implications are far-reaching. Every fragment of pottery, tool, “old” building, or vessel is part of a larger puzzle. These fragments allow us to reconstruct systems of governance, trade networks, spiritual practices, and social hierarchies. They offer clarity where memory alone cannot. The importance of archiving and archaeology is not only about the past or just preservation; it is a method for understanding continuity and change, for tracing how societies evolve and how identities are formed.

Its relevance becomes even more evident within the African context. As Ann Brower Stahl notes in African Archaeology: A Critical Introduction, archaeology in Africa contributes not only to knowledge of the past but also to contemporary debates about identity, heritage, and development. Here, archaeology moves beyond academic inquiry and becomes a national asset. Nations are built not only on economic strength or political systems but also on shared understanding. Identity shapes policy, education, and cultural confidence. When people understand where they come from, they engage the present with greater clarity and imagine the future with stronger direction. 

In Nigeria, however, there remains a noticeable scarcity of archaeological practice relative to the depth and scale of our history. This gap is not due to a lack of material but a lack of prioritisation. Archaeology requires funding, institutional support, training, and long-term commitment. It demands recognition that uncovering the past is not a luxury but a necessity. Without it, we risk building national narratives on unstable ground. 

Cultural Foundations: A Response and a Call

This reality is what inspired Cultural Foundations. The series emerges from inquiry and concern. It reflects a desire to engage with the unseen layers of history that shape contemporary identity. It is both a response and a call, a response to absence and a call to urgency. Through it, I attempt to visualise what has not been sufficiently excavated, to give form to histories that remain largely unverified yet deeply felt. 

Gbolahan Ayoola, Excavation: Test Site, R136,758.00

Archaeology, archiving, and preservation must be integrated into national development strategies. They should inform education, influence cultural policy, and shape how heritage is protected and presented. This is not merely about safeguarding artefacts or buildings; it is about safeguarding meaning. It is about ensuring that future generations inherit not just stories, but substantiated histories.

We cannot continue to speak confidently about identity while neglecting one of the most critical tools for defining it. Theoretical frameworks, no matter how compelling, require evidence to stand. Archaeology provides that evidence. It defends, challenges, and refines our understanding of who we are. Without it, identity risks becoming speculative rather than grounded. 

Cultural Foundations is an invitation to that excavation, a body of work that asks collectors, curators, institutions, and governments to look not just at what is on the surface but at the layers underneath. I invite you to engage with the work, enter the conversation, and join in the urgent project of recovering and preserving the evidence of who we are.

Reach out at hello@gbolahanayoola.com or visit gbolahanayoola.com to view the series. 

Gbolahan Ayoola 

Artist & Writer, Lagos, Nigeria 

gbolahanayoola.com