Ikom is a town in central cross river state, which rests on the cross river, and runs right through to Calabar and empties at the Atlantic ocean.
Ikom is rich in agriculture and its people are predominantly farmers. It is also the home of one of Nigeria’s archaeological ancient relics of stone sculpture monuments.
Ikom or Alok monoliths is a reserve of stone sculptures, distributed in over 30 sites in Alok, Emangabe and other settlements in the area, these stone hedges numbering about 350 are standing erect carved stones, with yet to be deciphered text whose complex geometric inscription can be compared to the rock arts of Tanzania.
The monoliths are carved from basaltic stones, sandstone and Shelly limestone and are found in sacred areas, center of the village or central meeting places of elders; found in perfect circles and inside these circles, the relics face each other. It’s in this pattern that it is replicated in the other sites, totalling 30 circles of the monoliths in the area. This pattern of arrangement is similar to the stone circuit in the Gambia.
The ancient relic depicts a human being with facial features; 2 eyes, mouth, beards, markings, a head crowned with rings, 2 decorative hands with fingernails, a nose, protruding navel and various shapes of facial marks.
This torso up replica measures 30 cm to 3m in height and weighs between 50 kg and 800kg .
Just like the unique nature of the human fingerprints, each one is different and unique in design, with beautifully inscribed unknown symbols.
The locals refer to them as “akwanshi”, “atal”, “alaptal” which means (dead people and their aura). History claims that these monoliths are a representation of ancestors, representatives of the god or those who ruled them and it is believed that whenever someone dies in such areas, the survivors of the dead person would go drop a stone for the memory of the departed.
Though limited archaeological investigations have been employed to prove its age, it is speculated to be at least 1600 years old, dating 200AD -1800AD.
This date is in sync with similar stone hedges found in western Cameroon which shares a boundary with Ikom.
In present practice, the natives usually carry out a ritual dressing of the monoliths in symbolic colors, and the stones are usually decorated with chalk and palm leaves during important festivals like the new yam festival. (Don’t our ancestors deserve some fun?)
Well, previous documentation revealed that the monoliths were about 450, but over the years, these heritage sites have had to face environmental, biological and human threats which has reduced them to 300.
It will be of immense historic, academic and tourism importance, if a long term preservation initiative or intervention is being introduced to the Alok open air museum; such as a semblance of a greenhouse, to regulate and reduce biological threats of exposure to intense heat, harsh weather conditions in a controlled climate exposure.
This measure will also guard against human threats of farming as they crack from bush burning and theft, as these artifacts are easily stolen and smuggled over the nearby border with Cameroon.
Up until 2020, Ikom monoliths were found in Miami international airport under fraudulent documentation and its replica is in the British museum.
These stones hold a history of tradition, ancient culture, rock art, pre-historical form of writing and visual communication and so was included in 2008 on the red list of West Africa’s objects at risk, World Monument Watch and its on UNESCO’S tentative list of world heritage sites.
Story Source – Mrs. Eileen Adebayo
Photo Credit – Google search engine
