Igbo-Ukwu

Last updated
Igbo-Ukwu
Bronze ornamental staff head, 9th century, Igbo-Ukwu.JPG
9th century Igbo-Ukwu bronze ceremonial staff head
Nigeria location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Igbo-Ukwu
Location in Nigeria
Coordinates: 6°1′N7°1′E / 6.017°N 7.017°E / 6.017; 7.017
Country Nigeria
State Anambra
LGA Aguata
Government
  KingIgwe (His Royal Highness) Martin N. Ezeh (Idu II) [1]
Population
 (2007)
  Total79,317
  Ethnicity
Igbo 99%
  Religion
Christianity
Odinani
Time zone UTC+1 (WAT)
National language Igbo

Igbo-Ukwu (English: Great Igbo ) is a town in the Nigerian state of Anambra in the south-central part of the country. The town comprises three quarters namely Obiuno, Ngo, and Ihite (an agglomeration of 4 quarters) with several villages within each quarter and thirty-six (36) administrative wards. It is also bordered by Ora-eri, Ichida, Azigbo, Ezinifite, Amichi, Isuofia, Ikenga and some other towns. [2]

Contents

History

Igbo-Ukwu, originally known as Igbo-Nkwo [3] , was the capital of the Kingdom of Nri beginning in the 8th or 9th century CE. [4] [5] It was the center of an extensive trade system linking the town with Gao on the Niger River and, through there, to Egypt and North Africa. [6] It was also a prominent center of lost-wax casting in bronze, one of the earliest in Africa. [3]

The modern town saw an outbreak of vigilante violence in 2013. [2]

Archaeological significance

Human and ram's head pendants from Igbo-Ukwu in the British Museum Bronze head and ram's head.jpg
Human and ram's head pendants from Igbo-Ukwu in the British Museum

Igbo-Ukwu is notable for three archaeological sites, where excavations have found bronze artifacts from a highly sophisticated bronze metal-working culture dating to 9th century AD, centuries before other known bronzes of the region.

The first, called Igbo Isaiah, was uncovered in 1938 by Isaiah Anozie, a local villager, who found the bronze works while digging beside his home. Five bronze artifacts from the original excavation are now in the British Museum's collection. [7] They include a small staff, a head of a ram, a large manilla, an intricately designed crescent-shaped vessel and a small pendant in the shape of a local chief's head with scarification (ichi) marks on the face.

Formal excavations by the archaeologist Thurstan Shaw in 1959 at the request of the Nigerian government, resulted in the discovery of two other sites, Igbo Richard and Igbo Jonah, containing the remains of an ancient culture. Later, these were excavated as well. Artifacts have included jewelry, ceramics, a corpse adorned in what appears to be regalia, and many assorted bronze, copper, and iron objects. Some of these contain materials that are evidence of a long-distance trading system extending to Egypt.

Radiocarbon dating placed the sites to 850 AD, [4] which would make the Igbo-Ukwu culture the earliest-known example of bronze casting in the region. The archaeological sites in southeastern Nigeria are associated with the Nri-Igbo. The three sites include Igbo Isaiah (a shrine), Igbo Richard (a burial chamber), and Igbo Jonah (a cache). Artifacts found in these sites have shown that by the 9th century AD, the Igbo-Ukwu people had established a complex religious system and an economy based on agriculture and trade with other African peoples as far as the Nile valley.

Climate

In Igbo-Ukwu, the dry season is muggy and partially cloudy, and the climate is warm all year round. The wet season is oppressive and overcast. The average annual temperature fluctuates between 64°F and 85°F, rarely falling below 56°F or rising over 88°F. [8]

The difference in temperature in Igbo-Ukwu is so little throughout the year that talking about hot and cold seasons isn't really helpful. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Igbo people</span> Ethnic group in Southern Nigeria

The Igbo people are an ethnic group in Nigeria. They are primarily found in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States. Ethnic Igbo populations are found in Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea, as migrants as well as outside Africa. There has been much speculation about the origins of the Igbo people, which are largely unknown. The Igbo people are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ifẹ</span> City in Osun State, Nigeria

Ifẹ̀ is an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria founded sometime between the years 500 BC-1000 BC. By 900AD, the city had become an important West African emporium producing sophisticated art forms. The city is located in present-day Osun State. Ifẹ̀ is about 218 kilometers northeast of Lagos with a population of over 500,000 people, which is the highest in Osun State according to population census of 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anambra State</span> State of Nigeria

Anambra State is a Nigerian state located in the South-eastern region of the country. The state was created on 27 August 1991. Anambra state is bounded by Delta State to the west, Imo State and Rivers State to the south, Enugu State to the east and Kogi State to the north. The state's capital is Awka, while the state’s largest city is Onitsha which is regarded as one of the largest metropolis in Africa. Nnewi is the second largest commercial and industrial city in Anambra State, and also a known automobile hub within Nigeria and Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Awka</span> Capital city of Anambra State, Nigeria

Awka is the capital city of Anambra State, Nigeria. The city was declared capital on 21 August 1991, after the creation of Anambra and Enugu state, which moved the capital from Enugu to Awka. The city has an estimated population of 301,657 as of the 2006 Nigerian census. The both LGAs of Awka South and North had a estimated population of 430,200 in 2022. The city is located at 199.1 kilometres (123.7 mi), by road, directly north of Port Harcourt in the centre of the densely-populated Igbo heartland in South-East Nigeria.

Aguata is a Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria, with its headquarters in Aguata. A major part of the headquarters falls into the town of Aguluezechukwu, while a smaller part falls into Ekwulobia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Igboland</span> Cultural region in Nigeria

Igbo land, east is the indigenous homeland of the Igbo people. It is a cultural and common linguistic region in southeastern Nigeria. Geographically, it is divided into two sections by the: an eastern and western.Its population is characterized by the diverse Igbo culture and the settlers in their newly founded land.

Nri is an Igbo city-state in Anambra State, Nigeria. It was the seat of a powerful and imperial state who was influenced much by the territories inhabited by the Igbo of Awka and Onitsha to the east; the Efik, the Ibibio, to the south; Nsukka and Asaba, and the Anioma to the west. Today, Nri claims to be the heart and origin of the Igbos, but it is historically dated that Igbo Ukwu, formally known as Igbo, and Igbo Nkwo is the true origin and beginning of the Igbos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oyi</span> LGA and city in Anambra State, Nigeria

Oyi is a Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria. It is home to the Oyi people. The towns that make up the local government are Nkwelle-Ezunaka, Awkuzu, Ogbunike, Umunede Umunya and Nteje.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Nri</span> Ancient African kingdom

The Kingdom of Nri was a medieval polity located in what is now Nigeria. The kingdom existed as a sphere of religious and political influence over a significant part of what is known today as Igboland prior to expansion, and was administered by a priest-king called an Eze Nri. The Eze Nri managed trade and diplomacy on behalf of the Nri people, a subgroup of the Igbo-speaking people, and possessed divine authority in religious matters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Igbo art</span> Traditional art of the Igbo people

Igbo art is any piece of visual art originating from the Igbo people. The Igbo produce a wide variety of art including traditional figures, masks, artifacts and textiles, plus works in metals such as bronze. Artworks from the Igbo have been found from as early as 9th century with the bronze artifacts found at Igbo Ukwu. With processes of colonialism and the opening of Nigeria to Western influences, the vocabulary of fine art and art history came to interact with established traditions. Therefore, the term can also refer to contemporary works of art produced in response to global demands and interactions.  

Igbo culture are the customs, practices and traditions of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. It consists of ancient practices as well as new concepts added into the Igbo culture either by cultural evolution or by outside influence. These customs and traditions include the Igbo people's visual art, music and dance forms, as well as their attire, cuisine and language dialects. Because of their various subgroups, the variety of their culture is heightened further.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigerian National Museum</span> National museum of Nigeria

The Nigerian National Museum is a national museum of Nigeria, located in the city of Lagos. The museum has a notable collection of Nigerian art, including pieces of statuary, carvings also archaeological and ethnographic exhibits. Of note is a terracotta human head known as the Jemaa Head, part of the Nok culture. The piece is named after Jema'a, the village where it was discovered. The museum is located at Onikan, Lagos Island, Lagos State. The museum is administered by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Thurstan Shaw</span> English archaeologist (1914–2013)

Chief Charles Thurstan Shaw CBE FBA FSA was an English archaeologist, the first trained specialist to work in what was then British West Africa. He specialized in the ancient cultures of present-day Ghana and Nigeria. He helped establish academic institutions, including the Ghana National Museum and the archaeology department at the University of Ghana. He began working with the University of Ibadan in 1960, where he later founded and developed its archaeology department. He led this for more than 10 years before his retirement in 1974.

Umunya is an Olu Town and one of the five communities that make up Oyi Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State Nigeria. It is bordered by six neighbors: Ifite-Dunu, Awkuzu, Nteje, Nkwelle-Ezunaka, Ogbunike, and Umudioka. In the south lies Umudioka and Ifite-Dunu, both in Dunukofia LGA. In the north, Nteje and Nkwelle-Ezunaka. In the east, Awkuzu and in the west, Ogbunike. The boundaries are naturally demarcated by streams except at the border with Nkwelle-Ezunaka where an expanse of Umunya heath namely, Oli-Omoto, Ogwugwu-Obo, Ugwueze, etc. crossed the Kpokili River. Nearly all ten villages of Umunya have their own fresh water springs. The town has fertile lands; hence, its economy is based on agriculture.

Umuchu is one of the largest towns in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria. Umuchu lies near the state border between Anambra and Imo States. It is connected by road to Umunze in the east and Igbo-Ukwu in the northwest. It is home to the Igbo people, and Umuchu is also the name of the local dialect of the Igbo language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Awka-Etiti</span> Town in Anambra State, Nigeria

Awka-Etiti, historically known as Awka-Diedo ; later mentioned as Awka-Nkakwu (Okankaku) by colonial authors, is an affluent town comprising seven villages in Idemili South local government area of Anambra state, Nigeria. The seven villages of Awka-Etiti in order of age established are: Nkolofia, Umunocha, Ejighinandu, Iruowelle, Umudunu, Nnaba and Ogunzele.

Opi is a community in Enugu State of southeastern Nigeria. It is populated by the Igbo people and located in Nsukka region. It is the location of a prehistoric archaeological site which contains iron smelting furnaces and slag dated to 750 BC. Iron ore was smelted in natural draft furnaces and molten slag was drained through shallow conduits to collecting pits forming huge slag blocks weighing up to 47 kg. The operating temperatures are estimated to have varied between 1,155 and 1,450 °C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archaeology of Igbo-Ukwu</span> Archaeology done in the town of Igbo-Ukwu, Southeastern Nigeria

The archaeology of Igbo-Ukwu is the study of an archaeological site located in a town of the same name: Igbo-Ukwu, an Igbo town in Anambra State in southeastern Nigeria. As a result of these findings, three excavation areas at Igbo-Ukwu were opened in 1959 and 1964 by Charles Thurstan Shaw: Igbo Richard, Igbo Isaiah, and Igbo Jonah. Excavations revealed more than 700 high quality artifacts of copper, bronze and iron, as well as about 165,000 glass, carnelian and stone beads, pottery, textiles and ivory beads, cups, and horns. The bronzes include numerous ritual vessels, pendants, crowns, breastplates, staff ornaments, swords, and fly-whisk handles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elmenteitan</span> African Pastoral Neolithic culture

The Elmenteitan culture was a prehistoric lithic industry and pottery tradition with a distinct pattern of land use, hunting and pastoralism that appeared and developed on the western plains of Kenya, East Africa during the Pastoral Neolithic c.3300-1200 BP. It was named by archaeologist Louis Leakey after Lake Elmenteita, a soda lake located in the Great Rift Valley, about 120 km (75 mi) northwest of Nairobi.

References

  1. Rothmans, William (25 February 2014). "Igwe Eze Calls On FG To Expand Roads". Orient Newspaper. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Tension Grips Igboukwu* Leadership Crisis, Gunmen Hold Town Hostage". 5 May 2013. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  3. 1 2 Apley, Alice. "Igbo-Ukwu (ca. 9th century)". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  4. 1 2 Thurstan Shaw, Those Igbo-Ukwu radiocarbon dates: facts, fictions, and probabilities, Journal of African History, 1975
  5. Ehret 2002, p. 315.
  6. Ehret 2002, p. 316.
  7. British Museum Collection
  8. "Igbo-Ukwu Climate, Weather By Month, Average Temperature (Nigeria) - Weather Spark". weatherspark.com. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  9. "Simulated historical climate & weather data for Igbo-Ukwu". meteoblue. Retrieved 12 August 2023.

Sources


6°01′N7°01′E / 6.017°N 7.017°E / 6.017; 7.017