The cross river monliths in historical perspective

The Cross River monoliths refer essentially to a collection of historic stones embedded in a restricted area of Ejagham territory in the upper Cross River region of Nigeria. These monoliths, locally called Akwanshi clearly capture and exemplify the depth of a formidable artistic tradition that is unique, rich and sophisticated with hardly any parallel anywhere else in Africa. The monoliths, which are yet to have a comprehensive scholarly visitation and interrogation, have however enjoyed a measure of art-historical, archaeological and ethnographic investigation. What is clearly lacking thus far is the placement of these investigations in proper historical perspective. This paper would attempt to do so. To achieve our objective, we shall consult oral sources, depend on pristine published works and extant literature on the subject.