Specialties

Archaeology of Rituals, Fortifications, and Sacred Groves |Indigenous Hermeneutics and Symbolism | Archaeology of Complex Societies | Body, Power, and Landscape | Ancient Cartography | Archaeoastronomy

Bio: Dr. Olanrewaju Lasisi is a distinguished scholar with a multifaceted approach to the study of power, landscape, and celestial phenomena in archaeology, particularly within the African context. Holding a Ph.D. and a Master’s degree in Anthropology from William & Mary, his notable doctoral work on the Ijebu Kingdom earned him the Distinguished Dissertation Award.

His unique research methodology incorporates ethnography, performance studies, archaeology, oral history, and archaeoastronomy to unravel the connections between astronomical practices and the Yoruba cultural landscape. His investigations into potsherd pavements have revealed their multiplex functions beyond household floors to serving as cartographic maps, art objects, and astronomical devices.

Dr. Lasisi is actively working on two pivotal book projects. "Yoruba Archaeoastronomy" which explores of Yoruba celestial practices, to provide Indigenous Hermeneutics Method into West Africa’s cultural astronomy. His second book project, "Architecture of Ritual Movements," redefines the ephemeral nature of architectural structures through the lens of ritual kinetics, that emphasizes the spatial and mnemonic power of movement as architecture.

Since 2014, he has been conducting research in Ijebu-Ode and currently directs the Ijebu-Ode Archaeological Project. His research has received support from prestigious organizations, including but not limited to the Wenner-Gren Foundation, Mellon Foundation, American Council of Learned Societies, National Endowment for the Humanities, Washington Explorers, US Ambassador Funds for Cultural Preservation, and Dumbarton Oaks, among others.

Selected Publications

History of Archaeological Research in the Yoruba-Edo Region of Nigeria: New Directions for Urban Earthworks. West African Journal of Archaeology, Vol 47, 2019

Crisis and Transformation in 'Bight of Benin' at the Dawn of the Atlantic Trade. In Power, Political Economy, and Historical Landscapes of the Modern World: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 285 (Co-author with Gerard Chouin, Ph.D), 2019

New Lights on the Archaeology of Sungbo Eredo. Dig it, Journal of Flinders Archaeological Society, 3:54-63 (Co-author with David Aremu, Ph.D.), 2016