DECLARED MONUMENTS IN NIGERIA

Rock paintings Gong and Shelter of Dutsen Mesa at Birnin Kudu:

The first group of paintings on the hill known as Dutsen Mesa is only about a hundred feet from the old motor road and even closer to the pedestrian path.

A Masonry wall surmounted by Mesh screen has been built by the Department to prevent the paintings from being touched, The paintings, four main styles and four sub-styles are exclusively of domestic cattle with the exception of a single enigmatical drawing which may possibly be a sketch plan of a cattle Kraal. Two main types of cattle are pictured; a long bodies, long-legged humpless breed with long spreading or converging some-times lyre-shaped horns and a short thick-bodied, short horned humpless breed.

Tentatively, they have been identified as hamitic long-horn which is now extinct in Nigeria. It is believed that this hamitic stock left its mark on the characteristic long-horned Zebu cattle; also knwon as Muturu. Muturu are found today among the pagan Tribes inhabiting the hills of the Jos Plateau, similar hill regions of Northern Nigeria, the tse-tse flies infested rain forest regions of the South of Nigeria and parts of the riverine province.

In February 1954, two other groups of paintings were found. In April 1955, a fourth group and in June 1955 three groups making a total of seven near Birnin Kudu. The paintings probably belong to the period of transition from Neolithic to the Metal age. Within a hundred feet of Dutsen Mesa there have been discoveries of more than ten groups of rock gongs which are huge natural exfoliations of rock which rest or are wedged in a position favourable to the production of musical notes.

It is believed that in most cases the rock gongs were used as assembling instruments by several players. Further rock gongs sites have been located stretching across Northern Nigeria through the provinces of Sokoto, Zaria , Kano, Plateau, Bauchi and Borno to the Northern Cameroons.

Rock gongs were used during ceremonies for entertainment in connection with religious beliefs or during war-time to war the farmer of enemy attack. (B.E.B Fagg. The cave Paintings and Rock Gongs of Birnin Kudu. Proc. 111 Par African Congress on pre-history, London, 1957, pp.306-312).

Declaration:
Declared Monument on 6th February, 1956 and the land within a raduis of three hundred feet of the rock shelter.