Abstract

Sacred groves are ubiquitous on the cultural landscape of Ilé-Ifẹ̀ and they have been the site of most archaeological research in the ancient Yoruba city. But these studies have been driven by the view that sacred groves were places of static ritual traditions. Recovering the paraphernalia of those rituals, especially the exquisite sculptures, therefore preoccupied the pioneering archaeological research in Ilé-Ifẹ̀. In contrast, the historical trajectories that defined the evolution and transformation of these groves as dynamic cultural sites have not been undertaken. We make the case in this article that sacred groves are dynamic and meaningful sites for historical negotiation. With this perspective, we conducted archaeological study of Odùduwà Grove in Ile-Ife with the goal to understand the broad sociocultural processes that have shaped the cultural landscape of the grove across different registers of time. The archaeological evidence in Odùduwà Grove dates back to at least the fourteenth century. We focus this article on the evolution of the grove during the twentieth century with emphasis on the materiality of colonial and postcolonial modernity and its implications for rituals of royal coronation, sacrificial rites, and feasting.

Osun Sacred Forest Grove is a unique landscape that combines important environmental, biological and cultural features. We conducted a multifaceted rapid assessment to evaluate the conservation status of the grove eleven years after it was designated a World Heritage Site. We recorded a rich diversity, consisting of 2 rock types, 3 minerals, 88 plant species, 108 insect families and 4 mammal species. Our survey also enabled us document up to 40 cultural artifacts. However, the plants, small mammals and insects collected, in their role as indicator taxa, demonstrate that biodiversity decreases extending outward from the core area of the grove into the buffer and outside zones. In addition, the detection of heterotrophic bacteria and fungi from microbiological analyses in water samples of the Osun River which runs through the grove raises health concerns. Our findings lead us to recommend that efforts be stepped up to deter encroachment of the buffer and outside zones into the core area of the grove. Furthermore, careful repair of deteriorating cultural artifacts should be undertaken regularly, with the actions of visitors monitored adequately to prevent depletion of biodiversity and pollution of the environment.

Entre décembre 1957 et janvier 1958, Frank Willett dirigea une fouille de sauvetage à Ita Yemoo, Ile-Ife (Nigéria), afin d’apporter un éclairage scientifique sur la découverte fortuite par les ouvriers d’un chantier de construction d’un groupe de rares artefacts en laiton. Ita Yemoo allait se révéler être un site archéologique majeur, et F. Willett y poursuivit ses travaux de 1958 à 1963. Le site devint fameux pour ses « bronzes » et pour plusieurs têtes en terre cuite découvertes in situ, élevées au rang d’icônes de l’art d’Ife durant sa période de « florescence » entre les xiiie et xive siècles de notre ère. Son renom contraste cependant avec l’absence de publication détaillée de son archéologie. Dans cet article, nous faisons usage de photographies, croquis et notes de terrain extraits d’un fonds d’archives, riche mais encore peu connu, légué par Frank Willett à l’université de Glasgow ; notre objectif est de reconstituer les détails de sa première saison de fouilles sur ce site, interpréter ses observations et proposer une réflexion sur la nécessité de redécouvrir et de publier les archives oubliées du patrimoine archéologique de l’Afrique.