Yam heaps on farming land, near Iboko, Abakaliki District, Nigeria

Object Details

Local Numbers: 613/1959-1960 EEPA 2000-070806
General: Title source: Dr. Simon Ottenberg, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note: This photograph was taken by Dr. Simon Ottenberg while conducting field research at Afikpo village-group, southeastern Nigeria, from September 1959 to December 1960.

Archival Repository: Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

Collection Rights: Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Scope and Contents: Original caption reads, "Photos in the Abakaliki District at Iboko and elsewhere in the surrounding area and at Abakaliki Town, the District's administrative center some 30 miles north of Afikpo Village-Group, in northeastern Igbo country. Yam field near Iboko with patch of forest in background, a typical scene in the Abakaliki area." [Ottenberg field research notes, September 1959-December 1960, Part II].; "The long broad valleys tend to become swamp during the rainy season, but the best farmlands are there. The practice of planting crops in large mounds of earth prevents their roting during the wetter periods. The afikpo are mainly agriculturists. The basic subsistence crops are yam, coco yam, and cassava, which are also the main cash crop. Yams, the only food grown by the men, are a prestige crop, and play a major role in ceremonials. Cassava, in particular, is a major cash crop for women and may be harvested through the year, but yams are planted during the dry season (February to April), and harvested during the wetter period (september to December)." [Ottenberg, 1968: Double Descent in an African Society; The Afikpo Village-Group, Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1968].

Collection Restrictions: Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.

Other Archival Materials: Simon Ottenberg Papers are located at the National Anthropological Archives, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.