ABSTRACT
The Scheme for the Study of Benin History and Culture is an experiment in inter-disciplinary cooperation. Its main aim is to discover how much can be learnt of the history of Benin through whatever sources and methods are available and practical, and so to lay a foundation for further historical studies in the central area of Southern Nigeria. The history of Benin art is itself an important aspect of Benin history and it is of further significance in that bronzes, ivories and wood carvings often purport to depict historical personages and events. The problem of setting up a chronology for Benin history involves all the disciplines and methods at our disposal and at this point it is impossible to assemble and analyse all the evidence. One must conclude, then, that Chief Egharevba, in his admirable attempt to record his country's history, has, for the earlier period at least, gone much farther than his information warrants.
