Permanence, temporality and the rhythms of life

Exploring significance of the village arena in Igbo culture

Datos Bibliográficos

ID3919700
AutoresJ Kelechi Ugwuanyi (0000-0001-8652-059X, University of York, autor de correspondencia), J Schofield (0000-0001-6903-7395, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK)
Año2018
Volumen50
Número1
Páginas7-22
Fecha de publicación2018-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaWorld Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0043-8243 • E-ISSN: 1470-1375
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00438243.2018.1473164
OpenAlexW2807416511
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas9
Referencias citadas29

The village arena (or ‘square’ or ‘Otobo’ in Nsukka Igbo) is at the physical and socio-cultural centre of Igbo life, in southeast Nigeria. It is a space where intangible Igbo cultural heritage is played out, and also serves as a virtual museum where heritage materials are kept. The arena performs its roles in two very different ways: as a sacred space hosting initiation rites and religious rituals; and as a profane space for meetings and ceremonies. Either way, these uses see the arena transition between permanency and temporality, following routines and rhythms which themselves give the practices meaning and significance, and contribute to their inscription on the landscape. This paper explores the complexities associated with these village arenas with a particular focus on their socio-cultural, political, economic and religious functions through time, as well as the way those complexities are manifest in material cultures that serve to characterize the village arena

Aesthetics · Art · Epistemology · Igbo · Linguistics · Meaning (existential · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Space (punctuation) · Temporality · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Anthropology · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies · Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation · Gender Studies · History · Law · Philosophy