Transportation of pottery on canoes at Ndibe Beach, on the Cross River, Nigeria

Object Details

Local Numbers: O-197/1951-1953 EEPA 2000-070170
General: Title source: Dr. Simon Ottenberg, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

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: This photograph was taken by Dr. Simon Ottenberg while conducting field research at Afikpo village-group, southeastern Nigeria, from December 1951 to March 1953.; Original title reads, "Ndibe Beach at the Cross-River. This is the main water shipping point from Afikpo, both north up the river and south to Calabar. Dugout canoes. Afikpo pots yams especially going south, various goods coming back north. Rainy season, when river high is a good time to travel. Building up superstructure on a canoe to carry pottery." [Ottenberg field research notes, O Series,December 1951-March 1953].; "For some Afikpo, fishing is an important seasonal activity, especially in the dry season, when the river is low and it is possible for canoe crews to move about easily and to live on the numerous sandbanks which appear at the time. The Afikpo fishermen spend many months on the river, moving northeast to the border of Cameroun and as far south as the coastal city of Calabar. The Afikpo are very much a trading people. Because they are one of the few Igbo peoples actually living on the river, they are a central point in the redistribution of goods for the region." [Ottenberg S., 1971: Leadership and Authority in an African Society; the Afikpo Village-Group. University of Washington Press].

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.