The Jos Museum is the second oldest in the nation, having opened to the public in 1952, according to Mr. Sunday Ogbeh, Chief Museum Education Officer. This museum was the biggest in West Africa when it was first established.
The Jos Museum focuses on human civilization and heritage. Tin mining on the Plateau led to the creation of the Jos Museum.
According to Mr. Ogbeh, the creation of this public museum was inspired by the white men’s discovery of the state’s rich cultural legacy during their journey to the Plateau.
The two categories of collections housed at Jos Museum are earthorographic (found on Earth’s surface) and archaeological (found underground). That’s why museum is defined as non profit making permanent institution in a society which acquires, preserves, conserves, and exhibits materials evidence of a man and its environment.
Jos museum has so many areas of interest which include The main Gallery, Museum Of Traditional Nigerian Architecture (MOTNA), The Transport Museum, The Tin Mining Museum, The 100 steps to Afizere Settlement (the 360 view of Jos).
Before the Establishment of the Museum, The 100 steps was used by the afizere Indigenes known as the Jarawa as Prayer ground and during communal clashes.
These exhibitions was put together in the year 2021 tagged “Treasures From Early Civilization “.
According to the Treasures from early civilization it disclosed that Nigeria has produced a great variety of art traditions, and her size, diverse geography and people have contributed to the richness of her civilization. Nigeria is a political grouping of different peoples who have their own artistic styles.
According to the Treasures from early civilization it disclosed that Nigeria has produced a great variety of art traditions, and her size, diverse geography and people have contributed to the richness of her civilization. Nigeria is a political grouping of different peoples who have their own artistic styles.
Nevertheless, there are some common underlying philosophical and psychological basis providing a common root for early Nigeria art tradition. In context, the works address life cycle and a comprehensive system of belief of the people.
This exhibition illustrates, with examples the different types of Nigeria sculptures in terracotta, metal, stone, wood and Ivory; contextualizing their relevance to the day to day use amongst the people.On display in this exhibition are objects from earliest known works of some two thousand years ago, and ends with materials from the ethnographic present.
This exhibition with the theme “Treasures from early Civilization” seeks to explore the traditional and rich cultural expressions of Nigerians. It equally explores a commonality and yet uniqueness in Agriculture, Trade and Commerce; Warfare, Power and Authority; music and Dance; Masks and Masquerade performances; and it also speaks eloquently of rituals, splendor and beauty of their social institutions.
