Dr. Abidemi Babalola, a US-based Nigerian archaeologist, has been awarded the 2025 Dan David Prize, the world’s largest prize for historical scholarship, for his groundbreaking research on glass beads in ancient West Africa.
His work, centered on the ancient city of Ile-Ife, has redefined global narratives about Africa’s technological history and positioned the region as a center of innovation and cultural exchange in the pre-modern world.
The $300,000 prize was awarded at a ceremony held in Italy on May 28, with the announcement later confirmed via the Dan David Prize official website.
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Rewriting History Through Glass Beads
Babalola’s award-winning research focuses on the “chaîne opératoire” of pre-15th-century glass beads, tracing their production, symbolism, and trade across West Africa. His findings challenge long-held Eurocentric beliefs that sophisticated technologies and material culture originated exclusively from the West.
According to Babalola, the region’s forest communities were not just recipients of global trade but also key producers, developing indigenous glass-making technologies and supplying trade goods along what he terms “the glass bead roads.”
“This work situates West African societies as agents of innovation,” he noted. “It highlights creativity, experimentation, and the deep scientific knowledge embedded in African material culture.”
A Lifelong Journey of Scholarship
Babalola earned his BA and MA from the University of Ibadan before moving to the United States to complete a PhD in Anthropology at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Over the last two decades, he has conducted extensive excavations in Ile-Ife, revealing layers of history that elevate the cultural legacy of the Yoruba civilization.
His academic path includes multiple prestigious fellowships:
- Smuts Fellowship, University of Cambridge
- McMillan Stewart Fellowship, Harvard University
- Marie Curie Fellowship, Cyprus Institute
- Postdoctoral appointments at UCL Doha and the British Museum
Global Impact, Local Roots
Dr. Abidemi Babalola currently leads the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) Archaeology Project in Benin City, Nigeria, under the British Museum’s Department of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas.
His work aims to digitize endangered material knowledge, focusing on the meaning and use of glass beads in Ile-Ife and Bida. He is also preparing a mobile exhibition titled “Science, Technology, and Invention in the Empire of Ile-Ife”, which will tour major cities in southwestern Nigeria.
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Recognition of a Broader Legacy
Babalola’s scholarship contributes to a deeper understanding of Africa’s role in global technological history. The Dan David Prize board praised his work for “challenging diffusionist narratives” and recognizing that technology can develop independently across different regions.
“His research explores themes of resilience, innovation, and indigenous knowledge in pre-colonial Africa,” the board noted. “It re-centers Africa in conversations about science and invention.”
In addition to the Dan David Prize, Babalola has received:
- Shanghai Archaeology Forum Discovery Award (2019)
- Blaze O’Connor Award from the World Archaeology Congress (2022)
- AIA Conservation and Heritage Site Award (2025)
He has also contributed to acclaimed publications such as “Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time” and “Africa: The Definitive Visual History of a Continent.”
Inspiration for a New Generation
Babalola’s story is not just about academic excellence, but about resilience, representation, and reclaiming historical agency.
“For two decades, Dr. Babalola worked tirelessly to unearth and interpret our past,” said fellow scholar and 2023 Dan David Prize winner Saheed Aderinto. “His discoveries open new doors for understanding Africa’s ancient civilizations.”
Through his work, Dr. Abidemi Babalola has not only transformed our understanding of the past but is actively shaping the future of African archaeology.