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Ethnoarchaeological Investigation of Affa in Udi local Government Area of Enugu

Received: 30 June 2020     Accepted: 22 September 2020     Published: 31 December 2020
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Abstract

In the past, many archaeological researchers have targeted on unearthing the earliest origin of this technological know-how in the continent of Africa and its diversification or diffusion to different parts of the continent. Many of such researches have taken place in the Nsukka vicinity of Enugu, Nigeria. Some of the communities in the Nsukka subculture location have traces of this earliest technological know-how in their environment with little or no sizable answer to their origin. To this regard, this study is aimed at; studying one of the earliest technologies of Africans in this phase of Nigeria, conduct a reconnaissance and ethnographic research in Affa community, excavate an iron smelting web site in the community, decide the starting place of the humans and that of the iron smelting, and determine the cultural correlate of the extinct and extant societies of Affa. Ethnoarchaeology studies are useful to archaeology because it helps to draw analogy between the past and the present. The archaeologist uses ethnography to reconstruct past human culture by detailed study of the technology (tools), behaviour and environment of present day people in order to properly understand and reconstruct artifacts, eco-facts and features recovered from excavation. The study reveals that they were iron smelters.

Published in Arabic Language, Literature & Culture (Volume 5, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.allc.20200504.12
Page(s) 51-63
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Excavation, Potsherd, Cultural Materials, Stratigraphy Level

References
[1] Andah, B. W. and A. I. Okpoko, (1994). Practicing archaeology in Africa. Ibadan: Wisdom Publishers Limited.
[2] Bray, W. and D. Trump, (1975). The penguin dictionary of archaeology. Britain: The Penguin Press.
[3] Elochukwu Nwankwo (2014) Ethnoarchaeological Survey Of Obimo: A Fieldwork Report Department of Archaeology and Tourism, University of Nigeria, Nsukka Enugu State, Nigeria, journal of economy knowledge Vol.1, No2, pp 48-61
[4] Hester, T. R., R. F. Heinzer and J. M. Graham, (1975). Field methods in archaeology. UK: Mayfield Publishing Company.
[5] Igbo, E. U. M. & Okpoko. P. U (2006) theoretical consideration in tourism planning and development’’ issue in tourism planning and development, Okpoko. P. U (ed). Nsukka: Afro-orbis publication, Co. ltd.
[6] Kay G. and Wright, D. M. (1962) 'Aspects of the Ushi iron industry', Northern Rhodesia Journal, V, 30-1.22
[7] Njoku, O. N., (2002). Indigenous science and technology in precolonial Nigeria: The examples of medicare and iron-working. In Nsukka Journal of the Humanities No. 12: 21-40.
[8] Nze, C. A., (2006). Excavation of an iron smelting site in Richard Ugwuoke’s compound tagged, Ugwuoke Richard Obimo, 2006. A Fieldwork Report Submitted to the Department of Archaeology and Tourism University of Nigeria Nsukka.
[9] Ofomata, G. E. K., (1978). The Nsukka environment. In G. E. K. Ofomata (Ed). Enugu: Fourth Dimension Publishers.
[10] Okpoko, A. I., (1982). Ethnoarchaeological investigations in parts of Anambra valley. An Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, University of Ibadan.
[11] Ozor, E. & Francis, O. (2019). Ethnography of Affa kingdom interview oral tradition 25th 03- 2019
[12] Nwafor, V. (2019). ‘pottery production’ interviewed oral tradition 25th- 03-2019
[13] Whiteman, J. A. and E. E. Okafor, (2003). Characterization of Nigerian bloomery iron smelting slag. In Historical Metallurgy, 37(2). Available from http://cat.inist.fr/?amodel=affiche N&cpsidt=15545214.
[14] Wilson, D., (1975). The new archaeology. New York: Knopf.
[15] http://www.comunsellcolorchart7.5yrdiagram
[16] http://www.fieldworkcatographicmapdigitalizationgislabart/timUNN
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Ajoma Simon Okwoche, Emeka Emmanuel Okonkwo, Inyabri Samuel Atam, Tawo Alfrd Oyong, Onah Gabriel. (2020). Ethnoarchaeological Investigation of Affa in Udi local Government Area of Enugu. Arabic Language, Literature & Culture, 5(4), 51-63. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.allc.20200504.12

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    ACS Style

    Ajoma Simon Okwoche; Emeka Emmanuel Okonkwo; Inyabri Samuel Atam; Tawo Alfrd Oyong; Onah Gabriel. Ethnoarchaeological Investigation of Affa in Udi local Government Area of Enugu. Arab. Lang. Lit. Cult. 2020, 5(4), 51-63. doi: 10.11648/j.allc.20200504.12

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    AMA Style

    Ajoma Simon Okwoche, Emeka Emmanuel Okonkwo, Inyabri Samuel Atam, Tawo Alfrd Oyong, Onah Gabriel. Ethnoarchaeological Investigation of Affa in Udi local Government Area of Enugu. Arab Lang Lit Cult. 2020;5(4):51-63. doi: 10.11648/j.allc.20200504.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.allc.20200504.12,
      author = {Ajoma Simon Okwoche and Emeka Emmanuel Okonkwo and Inyabri Samuel Atam and Tawo Alfrd Oyong and Onah Gabriel},
      title = {Ethnoarchaeological Investigation of Affa in Udi local Government Area of Enugu},
      journal = {Arabic Language, Literature & Culture},
      volume = {5},
      number = {4},
      pages = {51-63},
      doi = {10.11648/j.allc.20200504.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.allc.20200504.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.allc.20200504.12},
      abstract = {In the past, many archaeological researchers have targeted on unearthing the earliest origin of this technological know-how in the continent of Africa and its diversification or diffusion to different parts of the continent. Many of such researches have taken place in the Nsukka vicinity of Enugu, Nigeria. Some of the communities in the Nsukka subculture location have traces of this earliest technological know-how in their environment with little or no sizable answer to their origin. To this regard, this study is aimed at; studying one of the earliest technologies of Africans in this phase of Nigeria, conduct a reconnaissance and ethnographic research in Affa community, excavate an iron smelting web site in the community, decide the starting place of the humans and that of the iron smelting, and determine the cultural correlate of the extinct and extant societies of Affa. Ethnoarchaeology studies are useful to archaeology because it helps to draw analogy between the past and the present. The archaeologist uses ethnography to reconstruct past human culture by detailed study of the technology (tools), behaviour and environment of present day people in order to properly understand and reconstruct artifacts, eco-facts and features recovered from excavation. The study reveals that they were iron smelters.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Ethnoarchaeological Investigation of Affa in Udi local Government Area of Enugu
    AU  - Ajoma Simon Okwoche
    AU  - Emeka Emmanuel Okonkwo
    AU  - Inyabri Samuel Atam
    AU  - Tawo Alfrd Oyong
    AU  - Onah Gabriel
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.allc.20200504.12
    T2  - Arabic Language, Literature & Culture
    JF  - Arabic Language, Literature & Culture
    JO  - Arabic Language, Literature & Culture
    SP  - 51
    EP  - 63
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2639-9695
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.allc.20200504.12
    AB  - In the past, many archaeological researchers have targeted on unearthing the earliest origin of this technological know-how in the continent of Africa and its diversification or diffusion to different parts of the continent. Many of such researches have taken place in the Nsukka vicinity of Enugu, Nigeria. Some of the communities in the Nsukka subculture location have traces of this earliest technological know-how in their environment with little or no sizable answer to their origin. To this regard, this study is aimed at; studying one of the earliest technologies of Africans in this phase of Nigeria, conduct a reconnaissance and ethnographic research in Affa community, excavate an iron smelting web site in the community, decide the starting place of the humans and that of the iron smelting, and determine the cultural correlate of the extinct and extant societies of Affa. Ethnoarchaeology studies are useful to archaeology because it helps to draw analogy between the past and the present. The archaeologist uses ethnography to reconstruct past human culture by detailed study of the technology (tools), behaviour and environment of present day people in order to properly understand and reconstruct artifacts, eco-facts and features recovered from excavation. The study reveals that they were iron smelters.
    VL  - 5
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Archaeology and Tourism, Faculty of Art, University of Nigeria, Enugu, Nigeria

  • Department of Archaeology and Tourism, Faculty of Art, University of Nigeria, Enugu, Nigeria

  • Department of Archaeology and Tourism, Faculty of Art, University of Nigeria, Enugu, Nigeria

  • Department of Archaeology and Tourism, Faculty of Art, University of Nigeria, Enugu, Nigeria

  • Cross River State Carnival Commission, Calabar, Nigeria

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