Bernard Fagg
Encyclopedia
Bernard Evelyn Buller Fagg (8 December 1915 – 14 August 1987) was a British
archaeologist and Museum curator
who undertook extensive work in Nigeria
before and after the Second World War.
Fagg was born in Upper Norwood
to William Percy Fagg, an antiquarian bookseller and his wife Lilian Fagg (née Buller). His brother was William Buller Fagg. He studied classics, archaeology and anthropology at Downing College
, University of Cambridge
. After graduation he began to work for the British colonial administration in Jos
, Nigeria, in 1939.
He excavated the Rop rock shelter
on the Jos Plateau
in 1944, a site that contained both early stone age implements and later artifacts including pottery about 2000 years old.
Fagg first encountered archaeological finds of what became later known as the Nok culture, after the village of Nok
where the first terracotta figurines where found.
He undertook a controlled evacuation of the site at Taruga
, finding both terracotta figurines and iron slag with radiocarbon dates from about the fourth and third centuries BC.
In 1947 Fagg was appointed as the assistant surveyor of antiquities of the newly founded Department of Antiquities of the colonial administration. In 1952 he founded the National Museum in Jos, the first public museum in Nigeria. He became head in 1957 after the first director Kenneth Murray
retired. After Nigeria became independent, Fagg became the curator of the Pitt Rivers Museum
in Oxford
in 1963.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
archaeologist and Museum curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
who undertook extensive work in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
before and after the Second World War.
Fagg was born in Upper Norwood
Upper Norwood
Upper Norwood is an elevated area in south London, England within the postcode SE19. It is a residential district largely in the London Borough of Croydon although some parts extend into the London Borough of Lambeth, London Borough of Southwark and the London Borough of Bromley. Upper Norwood...
to William Percy Fagg, an antiquarian bookseller and his wife Lilian Fagg (née Buller). His brother was William Buller Fagg. He studied classics, archaeology and anthropology at Downing College
Downing College, Cambridge
Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1800 and currently has around 650 students.- History :...
, University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. After graduation he began to work for the British colonial administration in Jos
Jos
Jos is a city in the Middle Belt of Nigeria.The city has a population of about 1.5 million residents. Popularly called "J-town" or "Jesus Our Saviour" by the residents, it is the administrative capital of Plateau State....
, Nigeria, in 1939.
He excavated the Rop rock shelter
Rop rock shelter
The Rop rock shelter is an archaeological site on the Jos Plateau of Nigeria.There are two layers containing artifacts.The first holds large scrapers and backed crescent-shaped stone tools....
on the Jos Plateau
Jos Plateau
The Jos Plateau is a plateau located near the center of Nigeria. It covers 8600 km² and is bounded by 300-600 meter escarpments around much of its circumference. With an average altitude of 1280 metres and its highest point is Shere Hills 1829 meters...
in 1944, a site that contained both early stone age implements and later artifacts including pottery about 2000 years old.
Fagg first encountered archaeological finds of what became later known as the Nok culture, after the village of Nok
Nok
The Nok culture appeared in Nigeria around 1000 B.C. and mysteriously vanished around 500 AD in the region of West Africa. This region lies in Central Nigeria. The culture’s social system is thought to have been highly advanced. The Nok culture was considered to be the earliest sub-Saharan producer...
where the first terracotta figurines where found.
He undertook a controlled evacuation of the site at Taruga
Taruga
Taruga is an archeological site in Nigeria famous for the artifacts of the Nok culture that have been discovered there, some dating to 600 BC, and for evidence of very early iron working.The site is 60 km southeast of Abuja, in the Middle Belt....
, finding both terracotta figurines and iron slag with radiocarbon dates from about the fourth and third centuries BC.
In 1947 Fagg was appointed as the assistant surveyor of antiquities of the newly founded Department of Antiquities of the colonial administration. In 1952 he founded the National Museum in Jos, the first public museum in Nigeria. He became head in 1957 after the first director Kenneth Murray
Kenneth Murray (archaeologist)
Kenneth C. Murray was an English artist and archaeologist.The second son of the chess historian Harold Murray and his suffragette wife, Murray was an elder brother of educationalist and biographer Betty Murray, and a grandson of Sir James Murray, editor of the Oxford English Dictionary.He left...
retired. After Nigeria became independent, Fagg became the curator of the Pitt Rivers Museum
Pitt Rivers Museum
The Pitt Rivers Museum is a museum displaying the archaeological and anthropological collections of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. The museum is located to the east of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, and can only be accessed through that building.The museum was...
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
in 1963.