Early theories suggested that the copper arrived by trans-Saharan caravan from North Africa. Lead-isotope analyses have since given a more complex picture: some metal appears to come from the Benue Trough within Nigeria, while other matches point to sources far outside West Africa. Glass beads and other materials likewise suggest links to wider exchange networks.
Igbo-Ukwu therefore tells two stories at once: a thoroughly local artistic tradition, and a region connected to a medieval world of trade much larger than once imagined.