The modern borders of Edo State encompass regions that were formerly the site of various empires and kingdoms. Formed in the 11th century AD, the Benin Empire (unrelated to the modern country of Benin) is said to have been "one of the oldest and most highly developed states in the coastal hinterland of West Africa". The ancient city of Edo, the site of modern-day Benin City, was home to some of the largest earthworks in the world. In 1897, the British Empire conducted a punitive expedition of the region, destroying most of the ancient city of Edo and incorporating the territory into what would become the Southern Nigeria Protectorate.