← The interactive mapAll civilizations

Bura culture

200 – 1300
CultureAfrica

An Iron Age archaeological culture of the lower Niger River valley (southwest Niger / southeast Burkina Faso), known for smelted-iron tools and weapons and distinctive terracotta figurines and burial urns, radiocarbon-dated from the 3rd century AD.

Persisted as a distinct regional Iron Age culture until roughly the 13th century AD, when it disappears from the archaeological record. Its relationship to later West African states remains poorly understood; the culture was only discovered in 1975 and first excavated in 1983, so it is still described in the literature as 'shadowy' and 'mysterious'.

Borders in 200 · drawn from 1 sourced border frame
See it on the interactive map →

Further reading

Sources