Before the dawn is a brief account of the life in a small community in the eastern Nigeria before the advent of modern civilization. It describes the organizational structure of the people and the activities they were engaged in; activities like farming, construction of the houses, marriage ceremony, naming ceremony, funeral ceremony, initiation ceremonies (into adulthood or into the prestigious nze na ozo society), the peoples religious practices, festivals, beliefs and taboos, peoples pastimes, medical services etc. It documents what life was like before the dawn of civilization. It is not a history book but it aims to capture some of the disappearing practices for the future generation.