Nok Civilization Proposal

[Tyrannosaurus]

Since we have three North African civilizations (Ptolemies, Carthaginians, and Kushites) already, I thought that one located entirely south of the Sahara would be welcome as well. So I am going to suggest the Nok culture that thrived in the area of Nigeria between 900 BC to 200 AD. There's not a lot we know about them, especially since they don't seem to have used a written script, but they have left behind numerous sculptures attesting to an artistic tradition that would influence those of later West African kingdoms.

Nok Culture on the World History Encyclopedia

Quote

The Nok culture, named after the settlement of the same name, flourished in southern West Africa (modern Nigeria) during the Iron Age from the 5th century BCE to the 2nd century CE. Famous for the distinctive terracotta sculptures of human heads and figures, Nok was the first known culture in West Africa to produce such art and perhaps the first sub-Saharan culture to perfect iron-smelting technology.

Located east of the Niger River and north of the Benue River in what is today northern and central Nigeria, the Nok culture is named after the town where the first artefacts were discovered. These were mostly fragmentary sculptures, buried under some 8 metres (26 ft) of sand and earth, which were tossed up during local mining operations for tin in the first half of the 20th century CE. The Nok culture prospered thanks to iron-smelting technology which permitted the manufacture of iron tools. Nok culture provides the earliest example of iron-smelting technology in sub-Saharan Africa which may have come from Carthage to the north or, perhaps more likely given the formidable barrier of the Sahara desert, from Nubia in the east. It may even have been an indigenous invention but, unfortunately, there is very little evidence to support any of the three theories above the other two. Wherever the ideas came from, it permitted Nok to jump straight from the Stone Age to the Iron Age and skip the Bronze Age stage that is typical of developments elsewhere.

Excavations at Taruga revealed the oldest known Nok culture settlement, inhabited between the 4th & 2nd century BCE.

The remains of perhaps 13 iron-smelting furnaces were discovered at Taruga alone (55 km southeast of Abuja). Durable iron tools such as hoes, hand-axes and cleavers were put to good use to boost agricultural efficiency. Nok farmers were able to grow cereals like sorghum and such vegetables as pumpkins (which were represented in terracotta). Excavations at Taruga revealed the oldest known Nok culture settlement, inhabited between the 4th and 2nd century BCE according to radiocarbon data off charcoal found within the iron furnaces. Despite the arrival of iron technology, stone tools were still used, particularly larger tools, a fact which suggests that metal was always a rare commodity. Nok housing consisted of wattle and daub huts, which do not survive well, but many were built on a foundation consisting of a ring of stones, and these do survive in situ. Archaeology continues in the 21st century CE in the region and is pushing back the time period of the Nok culture, perhaps as early as 900 BCE.

The Nok culture spread through central Nigeria, perhaps covering an area as large as 78,000 square kilometres (30,000 square miles) or approximately the area of Portugal. There are, however, regional differences in both the types of tools and pottery made at various Nok sites. Finds of iron arrow- and spearheads would suggest, too, that life was not always peaceful amongst the Nok and with their rival tribes. The reason for the Nok Culture's decline around 200 CE is not known but is evidenced by a sharp drop in pottery production. The usual culprits may have been overexploitation of natural resources, a period of adverse climate change, civil wars, the arrival of rival kingdoms or a combination of all four.

The Nok culture produced sculptures of human heads and figures of humans and animals in terracotta, the earliest such sculpture produced in sub-Saharan Africa. Near life-size terracotta heads were often part of a fuller figure but this portion has usually been lost. Indeed, most terracottas were damaged upon discovery and had been displaced by water action so that their original context is difficult to determine.

When a hollow terracotta figure is fired in an oven, the gases and water vapour which build up and expand within it can cause a figure to crack or even shatter completely. A solution is to make vent holes in the figure and Nok potters did this but with an artistic flare. The eyes, mouth, nostrils, and earholes were all given natural-looking apertures and so the overall aesthetic effect of the figure was not compromised. In contrast to the larger sculptures, smaller figurines are solid.

Figures were carved to give features and linear decoration, seemingly when the clay had partially hardened but before firing. Many full figures are seated or standing on a base which represents an upside-down pot. A common posture is a seated figure with one arm resting on one raised knee (as in Auguste Rodin's celebrated 'The Thinker' sculpture). A number of figures carry weapons, but most seem to represent participants in rituals as they sometimes wear particular clothing and almost always a great deal of beaded jewellery and pendants not likely to have been worn every day. Male figures typically have a short square beard and curious moustaches which only grow at the corners of the mouth. There are also a number of figures which are neither human nor purely animals but an imaginative mix of the two. For example, there are humans with a bird-like beak, tail, and legs, and the head of an elephant with very human eyes and forehead.

Nok pottery vessels included shallow bowls with flat bottoms which were decorated on the inside with deeply scored lines, although the scoring may have been to permit the bowl to function as a grater. Chemical analysis of the clay from all Nok pottery shows that it came from the same source (as yet unknown) and so suggests that the industry may have been centralised and under royal control.

Nok art, and culture in general, may well have influenced later cultures in the Niger River forest areas, notably Igbo-Ukwu (at its zenith in the 9th century CE) and Ife (11-15th century CE). Certainly, the discovery of the fine artworks produced by the Nok culture provided a helpful precedent that convinced any lingering doubters that the works of those later cultures were indeed that of indigenous black Africans. As archaeology makes its slow and methodical additions to our knowledge and extends the time periods of key West African cultures, then perhaps the at-present tentative links between them will be more firmly established.

Some choice Nok sculptures:

 

I don't think we know for sure what language the Nok people spoke, but I would use Yoruba or Ibo vocabulary for unit and building names since those are some of the cultures influenced by the Nok culture. Below are some images showing what these cultures looked like in more recent periods:

 

Yoruba palace compound (I think)

Yoruba house

Ibo house

Ibo warriors with armor

Ibo warriors with spears and shields

In addition, as part of this larger representation of West Africa, African rainforest animals could be added to the game. Game could include the bongo, guinea-fowl, okapi, gorilla, and forest elephants (which I believe are already in the game), whereas leopards and chimpanzees would be predators.

Bongo

Guinea-fowl

Okapi

Gorilla

Leopard

Chimpanzee

Edited August 22, 2022 by Tyrannosaurus

[Yekaterina]

@Tyrannosaurus if you can make a mod for it that will be great.

[rossenburg]

1 hour ago, Tyrannosaurus said:

Since we have three North African civilizations (Ptolemies, Carthaginians, and Kushites) already, I thought that one located entirely south of the Sahara would be welcome as well. So I am going to suggest the Nok culture that thrived in the area of Nigeria between 900 BC to 200 AD. There's not a lot we know about them, especially since they don't seem to have used a written script, but they have left behind numerous sculptures attesting to an artistic tradition that would influence those of later West African kingdoms.

Nok Culture on the World History Encyclopedia

Some choice Nok sculptures:

 

I don't think we know for sure what language the Nok people spoke, but I would use Yoruba or Ibo vocabulary for unit and building names since those are some of the cultures influenced by the Nok culture. Below are some images showing what these cultures looked like in more recent periods:

 

Yoruba palace compound (I think)

Yoruba house

Ibo house

Ibo warriors with armor

Ibo warriors with spears and shields

In addition, as part of this larger representation of West Africa, African rainforest animals could be added to the game. Game could include the bongo, guinea-fowl, okapi, gorilla, and forest elephants (which I believe are already in the game), whereas leopards and chimpanzees would be predators.

Bongo

Guinea-fowl

Okapi

Gorilla

Leopard

Chimpanzee

interesting

[alre]

what about warfare? there must be archaeology based reconstruction!

[Tyrannosaurus]

1 hour ago, Sevda said:

@Tyrannosaurus if you can make a mod for it that will be great.

Thanks. I dunno if I have enough time in my life to make the mod all by myself. Plus, all I could really do is make concept art and maybe outline how the faction plays. I know a little Blender, but I'm far from being proficient at it.

35 minutes ago, alre said:

what about warfare? there must be archaeology based reconstruction!

I would look at the warfare of more recent coastal West African kingdoms (e.g. the Yoruba, Ibo, Benin, Dahomey, Asante, etc.) for inspiration there.

[Yekaterina]

3 minutes ago, Tyrannosaurus said:

concept art

That would be great. Some icons will help as well.

It would be even easier for other devs if you can propose a structure tree and unit tree.

[Tyrannosaurus]

9 hours ago, Sevda said:

It would be even easier for other devs if you can propose a structure tree and unit tree.

Are there any examples I can look at to see how those are built?

[Tyrannosaurus]

Anyway, a list of possible units and buildings for the Nok, not necessarily complete (all names taken from the Yoruba language of Nigeria):

STANDARD UNITS

Obinrin: Female citizen.

Onisowo: Trader.

Babalawo: Healer/priest.

Okunrin Oko: Melee infantry armed with spear and rectangular ox-hide shield.

Onigbowo: Ranged infantry that throws triple-barbed javelins.

Obe Jiju: Infantry that fights with a forked knife, both in melee and ranged modes.

Ologbo: Champion infantry armed with an ida sword.

Tafatafa Elesin: Light cavalry armed with a bow and arrow.

Kondo Elesin: Heavy cavalry armed with a cudgel or club.

Eso: Champion cavalry armed with a thrusting lance.

Garamantian Chariot: A mercenary unit from the central Sahara that is a charioteer throwing javelins.

Fon Gbeto: A mercenary unit from the West African coast that is a female archer shooting poisoned arrows.

Ipeja Oko: Fishing canoe.

Oko Isowo: Trading canoe.

Oko Ogun: Warship.

Idoti Agbo: Handheld battering ram.

Heroes

Shango: Based on a Yoruba chieftain turned deity, Shango fights with a throwing axe.

Oduduwa: This hero wears a suit of iron armor and fights with a long thrusting spear.

Oma Idoko: A hero who shoots poisoned arrows from horseback.

Buildings

Aafin: Civic Center. Trains Obinrin, Okunrin Oko, Onigbowo, and Tafatafa Esin.

Ile: Thatched-roof wattle-and-daub house.

Oko Oko: Farmstead.

Ile Itaja: Storehouse.

Igbelera: Dock. Trains Ipeja Oko, Oko Isowo, and Oko Ogun.

Ahere Ogun: Barracks. Trains Okunrin Oko, Onigbowo, and Ologbo.

Durosinsin: Stable. Trains Tafatafa Esin and Eso.

Ile Iso: Outpost.

Tafatafa Eso: Sentry Tower.

Ile Iso Okuta: Stone Tower.

Ayederu: Forge.

Ile Olorun: Temple. Trains Babalawo.

Oja: Marketplace. Trains Onisowo.

Ile Idoti: Arsenal. Trains Idoti Agbo.

Onigi Odi: Palisade.

Okuta Odi: Larger wall made of earth, similar to the Walls of Benin.

Odi: Fortress where you can train heroes.

Sacred Grove: A special building for the Nok, this is a grove of trees that can be cut down for wood. Once one tree gets cut down, another will slowly grow back in its place.

Royal Spire Pavilion: The Nok wonder, inspired by the one built by the later kingdom of Benin.

Edited August 25, 2022 by Tyrannosaurus

[Yekaterina]

1 hour ago, Tyrannosaurus said:

Are there any examples I can look at to see how those are built?

You can look at the structure tree of existing civs to make sure you have all of the necessary units and buildings, also for some ideas of balance.

Your units list needs some champions and heroes. A few more infantry option would also be good, or if there are any mercenaries that you can recruit.

 

[Tyrannosaurus]

On 22/08/2022 at 11:21 PM, Sevda said:

You can look at the structure tree of existing civs to make sure you have all of the necessary units and buildings, also for some ideas of balance.

Your units list needs some champions and heroes. A few more infantry option would also be good, or if there are any mercenaries that you can recruit.

 

I revised my list by promoting a couple of units to Champion status as well as adding a few heroes and mercenary units.

UPDATE 2: Also added a Wonder and bonus building for the Nok.

Edited August 25, 2022 by Tyrannosaurus

[Tyrannosaurus]

So here's how a Nok warrior of "elite" status could look like. I did the art myself.

 

[Stan`]

Nice work. Zebra hide might be a little cliché. Not sure.

[Tyrannosaurus]

39 minutes ago, Stan` said:

Nice work. Zebra hide might be a little cliché. Not sure.

I picked it because it looked cool.

[Duileoga]

On 22/08/2022 at 6:57 PM, Tyrannosaurus said:

Since we have three North African civilizations (Ptolemies, Carthaginians, and Kushites) already, I thought that one located entirely south of the Sahara would be welcome as well. So I am going to suggest the Nok culture that thrived in the area of Nigeria between 900 BC to 200 AD. There's not a lot we know about them, especially since they don't seem to have used a written script, but they have left behind numerous sculptures attesting to an artistic tradition that would influence those of later West African kingdoms.

Nok Culture on the World History Encyclopedia

Some choice Nok sculptures:

 

I don't think we know for sure what language the Nok people spoke, but I would use Yoruba or Ibo vocabulary for unit and building names since those are some of the cultures influenced by the Nok culture. Below are some images showing what these cultures looked like in more recent periods:

 

Yoruba palace compound (I think)

Yoruba house

Ibo house

Ibo warriors with armor

Ibo warriors with spears and shields

In addition, as part of this larger representation of West Africa, African rainforest animals could be added to the game. Game could include the bongo, guinea-fowl, okapi, gorilla, and forest elephants (which I believe are already in the game), whereas leopards and chimpanzees would be predators.

Bongo

Guinea-fowl

Okapi

Gorilla

Leopard

Chimpanzee

-Let's hope it happens like Kush , and we have more African factions .

[Lion.Kanzen]

On 25/08/2022 at 4:47 PM, Duileoga said:

-Let's hope it happens like Kush , and we have more African factions .

I would like more South Africans.

 

Bantu around this timeframe.

 

Also Polynesians.

[AIEND]

Good idea, I hope it can be more researched and show a civilization that is close to the real sub-Saharan Africa.

[Lion.Kanzen]

On 28/08/2022 at 1:44 AM, Lion.Kanzen said:

I would like more South Africans.

 

Bantu around this timeframe.

 

Also Polynesians.

https://www.britannica.com/place/central-Africa/The-Iron-Age

 

 for reference reasons.