Dr. Kevin MacDonald

And so there's every evidence that pottery is a very localized production. However, very interestingly, the statues or statuettes of Knock seem to have made very similar clays, which would imply a more standardized production for them or a more centralized production for them across this rather vast landscape.

Knock is covering an area which is almost the size of England, so it's a good-sized place where all these different sites are distributed. But the statuettes are always the same and the pottery is always different.

Knock is covering an area which is almost the size of England, so it's a good-sized place where all these different sites are distributed. But the statuettes are always the same and the pottery is always different.

Knock is covering an area which is almost the size of England, so it's a good-sized place where all these different sites are distributed. But the statuettes are always the same and the pottery is always different.

Well, one thing which is rather confounding about them, and particularly when we look at a lot of the statues, or statuettes, which are in the world's museums, virtually none of these statues have come from archaeological contexts. In world museums, virtually every one of these have been looted or come out of looting.

Well, one thing which is rather confounding about them, and particularly when we look at a lot of the statues, or statuettes, which are in the world's museums, virtually none of these statues have come from archaeological contexts. In world museums, virtually every one of these have been looted or come out of looting.

Well, one thing which is rather confounding about them, and particularly when we look at a lot of the statues, or statuettes, which are in the world's museums, virtually none of these statues have come from archaeological contexts. In world museums, virtually every one of these have been looted or come out of looting.

And something else which is apparent from the actual archaeological excavations which have taken place is that if you do CAT scans of many of these statues in world museums, it's evident that they are kind of a hodgepodge of fragments of statuettes and that they've been refinished or re-plastered to give their surface a smoother appearance.

And something else which is apparent from the actual archaeological excavations which have taken place is that if you do CAT scans of many of these statues in world museums, it's evident that they are kind of a hodgepodge of fragments of statuettes and that they've been refinished or re-plastered to give their surface a smoother appearance.

And something else which is apparent from the actual archaeological excavations which have taken place is that if you do CAT scans of many of these statues in world museums, it's evident that they are kind of a hodgepodge of fragments of statuettes and that they've been refinished or re-plastered to give their surface a smoother appearance.

Because, and again, getting ahead of myself a bit, it appears that most of these great works of art were mashed up before they were deposited in the ground. So it's very rare to find an entirely intact one.

Because, and again, getting ahead of myself a bit, it appears that most of these great works of art were mashed up before they were deposited in the ground. So it's very rare to find an entirely intact one.

Because, and again, getting ahead of myself a bit, it appears that most of these great works of art were mashed up before they were deposited in the ground. So it's very rare to find an entirely intact one.

So the objects that are often in museums were dug up by, and there's been an enormous amount of looting associated with knot, probably per cubic meter more than any other comparable tradition in Africa. And so people have quite industrially mined the remains of these, which were produced quite frequently by the knot culture. and then improved them.

So the objects that are often in museums were dug up by, and there's been an enormous amount of looting associated with knot, probably per cubic meter more than any other comparable tradition in Africa. And so people have quite industrially mined the remains of these, which were produced quite frequently by the knot culture. and then improved them.

So the objects that are often in museums were dug up by, and there's been an enormous amount of looting associated with knot, probably per cubic meter more than any other comparable tradition in Africa. And so people have quite industrially mined the remains of these, which were produced quite frequently by the knot culture. and then improved them.

If you look at the ones in the monograph produced by the German-Nigerian team recently, you'll see that these are all fragmentary. You're missing heads, you're missing bodies, or what have you. If you look at the ones in various world art museums, you'll find they're perfectly intact.

If you look at the ones in the monograph produced by the German-Nigerian team recently, you'll see that these are all fragmentary. You're missing heads, you're missing bodies, or what have you. If you look at the ones in various world art museums, you'll find they're perfectly intact.

If you look at the ones in the monograph produced by the German-Nigerian team recently, you'll see that these are all fragmentary. You're missing heads, you're missing bodies, or what have you. If you look at the ones in various world art museums, you'll find they're perfectly intact.

So either there is some source for intact statues without abraded surfaces, somewhere that the archaeologists are missing, or as cat scans have shown, these are restored, shall we say. That's probably the most generous term we can give to them. They have been restored. There's no doubt that they're complex. There's no doubt that they're every bit as... amazing, whether fragmentary or not.