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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Igbo-Ikwu Revisited
Author:Nwabueze, P. EmekaISNI
Year:1989
Periodical:Transafrican Journal of History
Volume:18
Pages:187-192
Language:English
Geographic term:Nigeria
Subjects:Igbo
masquerades
archaeology
Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups)
History and Exploration
External link:https://www.jstor.org/stable/24328712
Abstract:Since the archaeological excavation carried out by Thurstan Shaw at Igbo-Ukwu in Nigeria, historians and archaeologists have been speculating on what the excavated deposits represent, but no definite answer has yet been found. According to the author, this is due to the fact that scholars have been seeking answers from history alone, without linking the deposits with specific traditional ceremonies. Research carried out by the author among the Nri-Igbo people led to the real meaning of the Igbo-Ukwu deposits. Sociocultural investigations among the Nri-Igbo revealed that some of the deposits excavated at Igbo-Ukwu were costumes, props, and make-up materials used in the production of the masquerade drama, a personification of a revered ancestor invited back to life to commune with the living. An important part in the masquerade performance was played by the 'Oda', the masquerade house, which served as a rendez-vous for the ancestral spirits and as a store-house for the properties and other paraphernalia used in the masquerade performances. Evidence suggests that one of the excavated sites at Igbo-Ukwu was the 'Oda', and that the deposits excavated were materials used for the construction of the masquerade. Notes, ref.
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