Sub-Saharan Iron Smelting Technology

Timeline

1. c. 500–600Cluster of archaeological sites in northern Nigeria · NigeriaArchaeology reveals dense remains of blast furnaces, slag, and iron artifacts; smelting was controlled by clan craftsmen, and products were used for agricultural tools and local arms, with the technology spreading along the Niger River basin to the south and north.
2. 601–700Sphere of influence of the Ghana Empire · West AfricaIncreased output of iron weapons and agricultural tools supported the expansion of Sahelian polities and trade networks; ironware also became one of the trans-Saharan trade goods, alongside the gold-salt trade.
3. c. 650–700Central African forest-savanna transition zone · Central AfricaThe West African blast-furnace tradition coexisted with different furnace types in Central and East Africa; local craftsmen's guilds controlled secret techniques, laying the foundation for the metallurgical capacity of later empires such as Mali and Songhai.