Settlement Pattern and Structural Morphology in Lekki coastal area, southwestern Nigeria: an ethno-archaeological Perspective

The Lekki site is one of the Yoruba settlements of historical importance, with evidence of early European presence and influence. The factors that determined settlement pattern and structural morphology at this coastal settlement are considered in this paper. Data were obtained both from the archaeological record and ethnographic context. It is opined that environmental and economic factors were the two most important determinants of settlement pattern and structural form and configuration. Three structural forms were identified: temporary, traditional, and European architecture. It is difficult to discover the first two in the archaeological record, because they were built of thatch and bamboo which made their preservation and survival difficult in a tropical setting. Relics of the last, the European architecture, are however still visible.