- Abidemi Babalola, a US-based Nigerian archaeologist, has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Dan David Prize for his groundbreaking research on the history of glass beads.
- The Dan David Prize, the world’s largest historical scholarship award, announced its 2025 winners on its official website, with the ceremony taking place in Italy on May 28.
Nigerian-born archaeologist Dr. Abidemi Babalola has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Dan David Prize, receiving a $300,000 grant for his pioneering research into the history and cultural significance of glass beads in West Africa.
Recognized as the world’s largest award for historical scholarship, the Dan David Prize celebrates outstanding achievements in the study of the past. This year’s laureates were announced via the prize’s official platform, with the award ceremony held on May 28 in Italy.
Dr. Babalola’s acclaimed research traces the roots of ancient glass bead production to Ile-Ife, a historic Yoruba city in Nigeria. His project, titled “The Ile-Ife Glass Bead Series… and the Glass Bead Roads in West African Archaeology”, offers new insights into Yoruba civilization and the broader African past.
Fellow Nigerian historian and 2023 Dan David Prize winner Professor Saheed Aderinto celebrated Babalola’s success with a heartfelt social media post. He highlighted their academic journey from Nigeria to the U.S. and praised Babalola’s decades of rigorous excavation, lab research, and scholarly excellence.
“For two decades, Dr. Babalola conducted numerous archaeological excavations at Ile-Ife, worked in world-class labs, and held fellowships at Harvard and Cambridge,” Aderinto wrote. “His hard labor and mind-blowing discoveries further position Ile-Ife in Yoruba history and expand our understanding of ancient African civilization.”
Babalola’s work stands out for its interdisciplinary approach merging archaeology, ethnography, history, and science to explore the symbolism of glass beads in relation to culture, power, religion, and identity.
He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Ibadan, and completed his PhD at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Currently, he serves as the lead archaeologist for the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) Archaeology Project in Benin City, in collaboration with the British Museum’s Department of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas.
His recognition marks a significant moment for African archaeology, placing the spotlight on Nigeria’s ancient heritage and its contributions to global history.
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