Cultural Heritage Archives ~ Page 2 of 50 ~ Ozi Ikòrò

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OPI OKIKE-METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OKIKE is a curved ivory colored music instrument made from elephant tusks or large horn of an Elephant. With an opening by the side and an…

06

Jan 2026

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory Historical Studies

Trans-Saharan Technology Transfer: The Impact of Turkish Instructors on Indigenous Gun Smelting in the Borno Empire

The Borno Empire, one of the oldest and most influential states in the Lake Chad Basin played a critical role in the diffusion of military technology across West and Central…

06

Jan 2026

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Historical Studies

Iron and Spirit: The Role of the “Ateiwya” (Blacksmith Workshop) as a Sacred Space for Weaponry and Moral Teaching among the Tiv

Traditional blacksmith at work with forge, anvil, bellows and hammer shaping iron. Photo credit: Charlesnike via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. The Tiv people of central Nigeria possess a long-standing tradition…

02

Jan 2026

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory Historical Studies

The Guilds and Trade: The Awka and Abiriba Connection

Across precolonial southeastern Nigeria, craftsmanship and trade networks played a central role in shaping regional economies and social hierarchies. Among the most prominent were the Awka blacksmiths of present-day Anambra…

02

Jan 2026

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory Historical Studies

The Impact on the “Yam Revolution”

Igbos in diaspora celebrating Iwa-Ji in Dublin, Ireland. Photo credit; Wikipedia Yam (Dioscorea rotundata and Dioscorea cayenensis) has long been one of the most important food crops in West Africa, especially…

02

Jan 2026

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory Historical Studies

Regional Styles: Cross River Igbo vs. Northern Igbo Carving

Maiden Spirit Helmet Mask (Agbogho Mmuo). photo credit ; Michael carlos museum Woodcarving traditions among the Igbo of southeastern Nigeria are among the most diverse in West Africa. Although the Igbo…

02

Jan 2026

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory Historical Studies

The Nsukka Industrial Complex: Lejja and Opi

Map of Lejja showing the thirty-three villages.. Photo credit; Wikipedia. Long before modern factories, industrial parks, and mechanized manufacturing, parts of Igboland in southeastern Nigeria had already developed complex metallurgical traditions.…

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Jan 2026

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory Historical Studies

The Ancestral Chairs: Oche Ndichie and Oche Ekpenti

Throughout Igbo cultural history, carved wooden chairs have served not merely as furniture but as deeply symbolic objects connected to authority, memory, spirituality, and lineage. Among the most important of…

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Jan 2026

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory Historical Studies

Musical Instruments: The Voice of the Wood

Across many African societies, music is not merely entertainment, it is a social language, a spiritual medium, and a form of historical documentation. Among the Igbo and other groups in…

02

Jan 2026

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory

The Awka Blacksmiths and the Carvers’ Tools

Among the Igbo of southeastern Nigeria, craftsmanship is highly specialized and deeply connected to the spiritual and economic life of the people. Two guilds, the blacksmiths of Awka and the…