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Abstract:
The Ihò Eléérú rock shelter is located in SW Nigeria (Ondo State), approximately 20 km NNW of Akure (Fig. 1). The site name means “Cave of Ashes” in the Yoruba language. The site has typically been published using the name “Iwo Eleru”, which is an anglicized translation of its original Yoruba name. The name “Iho Eleru” will be used throughout this chapter for the sake of convenience. The site was originally reported in 1961 by Chief officer J. Akeredolu of the Department of Antiquities in Benin, Nigeria (Shaw & Daniels, 1984, pg. XI). In 1963, Thurstan Shaw led an exploration of cave rock-shelters in the region (Fig. 1) and was informed by another officer of the Department of Antiquities, G. Connah, of the existence of Iho Eleru. The first exploration of the site took place on 28 December 1963 (Shaw & Daniels, 1984, pg. XI). Between 1964 and 1965, T. Shaw and S. Daniels conducted a series of excavations at the rock shelter, fully reporting their excavation results in 1984 (Shaw & Daniels, 1984). This section describes the site’s: (a) location, physiography, and climate, (b) geology, and (c) ecology.