Firearms Archives ~ Ozi Ikòrò

18

The mastery of firearms among many West African communities before and during the colonial era depended heavily on specialized guilds, wards, and lineages responsible for weapon production, maintenance, and ritual…

07

Jan 2026

The ‘Eze Uzu’ (King of Blacksmiths): Examining the Socio-Political Power of the Awka Iron-Working Guilds During British Pacification

A young apprentice assisting in a smithy helps illustrate the transmission of indigenous technological skills across generations. Photo credit: Hajjare, via Wikimedia Commons. The Awka people of southeastern Nigeria developed one…

07

Jan 2026

Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory Historical Studies

Royal Arsenals: The Role of the Igun Eronmwon Blacksmiths in Arming the Benin Resistance Against the 1897 British Punitive Expedition

The fall of the Benin Kingdom in 1897 followed one of the most organized indigenous military defenses in West Africa. Central to this resistance were the Igun Eronmwon, the royal…

07

Jan 2026

Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory Historical Studies

From Defense to Display: The Evolution of Cannons from Military Tools to Symbols of Aristocratic Prestige among the Ijaw and Kalabari

A cannon shown on exhibition in a museum useful to illustrate how artillery pieces shift from tools of war to objects of display and prestige. Photo credit: Jürgen Kehrberger, via…

03

Dec 2025

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory Historical Studies

The Atlantic Trade Network: Kalabari as a Commercial Gatekeeper of the Eastern Delta

The Niger Delta emerged as one of West Africa’s most dynamic commercial regions during the Atlantic trade era, and among its coastal polities, the Kalabari Kingdom distinguished itself as a…

03

Dec 2025

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory

The War Canoe House System (Wari): Kalabari’s Unique Engine of Commerce and Governance

Photo credit: Wikipedia. Among the Kalabari people of the Niger Delta, the War Canoe House System called wari, stands as one of the most sophisticated traditional institutions in West African history.…

Tag: Firearms

The Iwoki Ward: The Specialists of the Gun

The ‘Eze Uzu’ (King of Blacksmiths): Examining the Socio-Political Power of the Awka Iron-Working Guilds During British Pacification

Royal Arsenals: The Role of the Igun Eronmwon Blacksmiths in Arming the Benin Resistance Against the 1897 British Punitive Expedition

From Defense to Display: The Evolution of Cannons from Military Tools to Symbols of Aristocratic Prestige among the Ijaw and Kalabari

The Atlantic Trade Network: Kalabari as a Commercial Gatekeeper of the Eastern Delta