Anthonia Fatunsin

Anthonia Kehinde Fatunsin
Personal details
Born	Owo Ondo state
Citizenship	Nigeria
Nationality	Nigeria
Occupation	Archeologist
Known for	Being the first female archaeologist from Nigeria

Anthonia Kehinde Fatunsin is a Nigerian archaeologist. She is regarded as Nigeria's first female archaeologist, and the first woman to head National museum of Ibadan. ^[1] Her fieldwork has primarily focused on yoruba pottery, particularly from Owo community. ^[2]

Archaeological excavations

In 1981, Fatunsin began excavating Igbo'laja and Ijebu-Owo sites in Owo town to discover what was known as Owo terracotta. Babasehinde Ademuleya from Obafemi Awolowo University noted that her examination marked the second time the town had been excavated, following the 1976 visit of Ekpo Eyo. However, Fatunsin is recognised as the first to provide a comprehensive description of the characteristics of the sculptures. ^[3]

Museological career

Fatunshin has written about the role of archaeology in Nigerian museums and its impact on the county's cultural heritage. ^[4] She has been recognised as a pioneer of postcolonial archaeological thought and interpretation in Africa. ^[5]

References

1. Oziogu, Apollos Ibeabuchi (17 June 2012). "Owo culture of ancient Nigeria". Vanguard. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
2. "Fatunsin, Anthonia". WorldCat. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
3. Babásèhìndé, Adémúlèyá (July 2015). "Stylistic Analysis of Igbo 'Laja Terracotta Sculptures of Owo". Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences. 6 (4 S2). Retrieved 1 July 2021– via mcser.org.
4. Fatunsin, Anthonia K. (1994). "Archaeology and the protection of cultural heritage: the Nigerian situation". Archéologie et sauvegarde du patrimoine: Actes du VIe colloque, Cotonou, Bénin, 28 mars - 2 avril 1994 = Archaeology and safeguarding of heritage: Proceedings of the 6th colloquium, Cotonou, Benin, 28th March - 2nd April 1994: 63–69.
5. Theory in Africa. doi:10.4324/9781315716381-7. ISBN   9781315716381 . Retrieved 14 November 2019.