This thesis has attempted to bring to limelight the history of the people who once

occupied the Padur Hill and who have now settled in the present day Shishiri plains

which is about three kilometers from the once occupied Padur hill.

The only attempt to write the history of the Padur people was that made by

Nimzing Sunday on the burial system of the Taroh with particular reference to Padur

abandoned settlement site, thus the necessity to use archaeological methods to reconstruct

the history of the Padur people. The present research aimed at reconstructing the past

ways of life of the people who occupied Padur hill by studying the site. The objectives

are to document the oral history of Padur people and to use archaeological methods to

identify, document, describe, and interpret the various cultural materials on the site so as

to understand the cultural change and continuity by comparing the ethnographic materials

of the people with the archaeological data.

The methods of research employed were the use of oral tradition, written sources,

ethnographic survey and archaeological reconnaissance and survey. Finds and features

were identified, documented and taken pictures of. These were a shrine, one upper

grinding stone, two lower grinding stones, a clan meeting arena, a rock with hollows, a

grave, "ishi ewopwop" (structures of skulls that are worshipped), two tombs, numerous

gourds, two bows and arrows stores, house foundations and a granary foundation. Pottery

was the major find that was abundantly visible and seventy six (76) sherds were picked

randomly and analyzed.

From this research, it could be seen that the researcher made an attempt towards

contributing to the understanding of the history of the Padur people. The researcher has

firstly, documented the oral history of the site; secondly, the finds and features at the site

have been documented; thirdly, the researcher collected ethnographic information on the

relevant crafts and industries and tried to establish a link between the past inhabitants of

the abandoned Padur settlement site and the people who are presently occupying the

Shishiri settlement. Finally, corroboration has been made from the evidence gotten from

oral tradition, documentary sources and ethnographic study which it is hoped that with

more research work, the history of the Padur people and their culture dynamics would be

better understood as a clearer picture will emerge.

In conclusion, it could be deduced from the evidence gathered that all the finds

and features left behind by the Padur people suggest that the site was a habitation site.