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Àgbélé Symbol and the Branding of Ìyámòpó Mountain in Ìgbẹ́tìfor Heritage Tourism.
$10.00Àgbélé Symbol and the Branding of Ìyámòpó Mountain in
Ìgbẹ́tìfor Heritage Tourism.
by
Adeola Adeitan Lameed
Department of Sustainability Studies, University of Ibadan
Francesca Chinyere Ukpokolo and David A. Aremu
Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Ibadan
Abstract
This paper examined how the Àgbélé symbol can brand Ìyámòpó
Mountain a Twenty-first Century tourist site, attracting tourists to
Ìgb̀ ẹ̣́
̣̣́tì. Clifford Geertz’s Symbolic and Interpretive and Walt Whitman
Rostows’ Modernisation theories served as the framework. Qualitative
and quantitative approaches were adopted. Seventy-six informants
were interviewed while 212 questionnaires were administered to
tourists to determine how Àgbélé symbols can brand Ìyámòpó
Mountain. Content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data while
descriptive statistics were used to report the quantitative data. Àgbélé
rock pedestals with extraordinary aesthetic quality embody cultural
meanings for members of the Ìgb̀ ẹ̣̣̣́́tì community in Ọ̣́lo ̣̣́runsogo Local
Government and also serve as tourist’s attraction. An aggregate of
82.4%; 73%; 77.8% and 74% of the respondents agreed that tourists
can identify Ìyámòpó Mountain through Àgbélé symbol, Àgbélé
symbol can attract tourists to Ìyámòpó and can be used to brand
Ìyámòpó Mountain and other tourism resources, respectively. Using
cultural symbols can be employed to brand tourism destinations.
Keywords: Agbele hill, Tourism Destination, Symbol, Ìyámòpó
Mountain, Ìgb̀ ẹ̣́
̣̣́tì -
An Insight to 50 years of Archaeological Research in Nigeria
$10.00An Insight to 50 years of Archaeological Research in Nigeria
By
Kola AdekolaDepartment of Archaeology and Anthropology,
University of Ibadan, Nigeria
E mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
Tel: +234-8023374474ABSTRACT
Archaeology is perhaps one of the best barometers to examine 50years
of African study research in Nigeria. It is no gain saying that
archaeology has a central role in providing a holistic understanding of
Nigerian history both with regard to its temporal depth and
complexity. For the past five decades’ scientific research in archaeology
has witnessed an exponential growth from the pioneer efforts of
individuals like Thurstan Shaw, Bernard Fagg and Frank Willett. The
foundation by the pioneers is exemplified by Thurstan Shaw’s
archaeological investigations in Igbo-Ukwu and Iwo-Eleru in the
South Eastern and South Western Nigeria respectively. Arguably,
they were the benchmarks for archaeological investigations in the entire
West African region.
The tempo of archaeological research has improved tremendously
following these earlier works. This essay, therefore, critically examines
some of the archaeological researches conducted in Nigeria with the aim
of highlighting the trajectories of development. It also argues that
perhaps with more funding (for equipment, fieldwork exercise, dating);
training and re-training of archaeologists, the Nigerian field has a lot
of potentials in the understanding of the myriads of problems
confronting the Nigerian state in particular and the global community
in general.
Keywords: Archaeological research in Nigeria; Nigerian
archaeologist; Nok; Ife; Esie; Sungbo-Eredo -
ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF DRUM MAKING AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE AMONG THE PEOPLE OF OYO
$10.00ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF DRUM MAKING AND ITS
SIGNIFICANCE AMONG THE PEOPLE OF OYO
Olatomiwa K. SarumohAnd
Prof. David AremuDepartment of Archaeology and Anthropology
University of Ibadan.
Email: [email protected] and
[email protected]Abstract
Drum making is a very vital part of Yoruba cultural heritage, its use in
Yoruba folklore cannot be overemphasized. The erosion of cultural
technology in preference for new technologies is a problem for drumming
in Yoruba Land. The motivation of this research is to increase the empirical
understanding of the potential of the art and craft of drum making. This
paper attempts to assess the methods of production and preservation of
hides and other materials used in the production of local drums by the
indigenous people of Oyo town, and rationale how and why the methods
have changed over time. It also highlights the significance of the art of
drumming and drum making as an integral aspect of our cultural heritage.
Data were obtained using ethnographic methods. This project was carried
out among the people of Owode and Apini, Oyo East Local Government
Area, Oyo state.
Keywords: drums, drum-making, ethnography, Oyo, Yoruba land -
Postcolonial Ordeal and the Emancipatory Potentials of Archaeology/Anthropology Education in Nigeria
$10.00Postcolonial Ordeal and the Emancipatory Potentials of Archaeology/Anthropology Education in Nigeria
Akinwumi Ogundiran University of North Carolina, Charlotte Email: [email protected]
In response to the theme of this anniversary conference, “Archaeology, Anthropology, and National Development,” I make two arguments. First, that development of any kind will remain a mirage until we emancipate ourselves from the postcolonial ordeal weighing us down. Second, I explain that development is not synonymous with material or infrastructure, the same way that we cannot define a civilization by its monuments. We need a human-centered conception of development that includes the following attributes: Respect for human dignity and belief in the equality of all humankind irrespective of gender, ethnicity, race, or class, circumstances of birth, rank, or position; Consciousness of one’s history, heritage, and culture, and unapologetic desire to use it as an epistemological foundation for seeking solutions to contemporary problems and for anticipating the future ones; Belief in the possibility of a better tomorrow and commitment to work towards it; Security of life and property for everyone, not for the powerful only; Justice for all, not only for the rich and powerful. Any society that lives by these five principles will have good roads, a good education system, and good governance. It will drastically reduce, if not eliminate, poverty. Such a society will create jobs and have a social safety net for the homeless and the hungry. Today, we cannot claim to have any of these. Why not? -
The Archaeobotanical and Palaeoecological Legacy of ‘garden-based’ Agroforestry in the African Rainforest
$10.00The Archaeobotanical and Palaeoecological Legacy of
‘garden-based’ Agroforestry in the African RainforestBy
Orijemie Emuobosa Akpo
Department of Archaeology and Anthropology,
University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
[email protected]Abstract
Despite once being considered ‘pristine’ wildernesses, there is
emerging evidence that humans have had long-lasting legacies on
tropical forest structure, species distributions, and dynamics over the
course of millennia. In contrast to the Amazon, however, tropical
Africa has thus far been somewhat neglected in these discussions,
despite the significance of its forests to continental carbon and
hydrological cycles, global biodiversity, and human history, with much
debate focusing on the dichotomy of human versus climatic influence
on the so-called Holocene ‘Rainforest Crisis’. Here, I present and
evaluate novel and existing palaeoecological and archaeobotanical
datasets to provide more nuanced insights into past human impacts on
West African rainforests and their legacies in the 21st century.
Analyzing data from southern Nigeria, and regional archaeobotanical
datasets, I argue for the long-term presence of ‘Garden-based’
agroforestry in this part of the world, that has left signatures in the
form of economic plant distributions and environmental structure with
important implications for modern ecology, food security, and
conservation.
Keywords: Tropical rainforests, agriculture, ecosystem, cultural
niche construction, Nigeria