section_path: History by region/Africa/Niger-Congo Africa/Nok culture
section_name: Nok culture
paragraph_text: Nok culture
  
  The Nok culture appeared in Nigeria around 1000 BC and mysteriously vanished around AD 200. The civilisation's social system is thought to have been highly advanced. The Nok civilisation was considered to be the earliest sub-Saharan producer of life-sized Terracotta which have been discovered by archaeologists. The Nok also used iron smelting that may have been independently developed.