Publication Details
Abstract
This study examined the antiquity of Elile village in Eastern Obolo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria between 1255-2025. Elile village is a beaconing force in the historical landscape of Obolo nation in Nigeria but not much was known about this ancient and the oldest village in Eastern Obolo Local Government Area. Using oral histories and traditions, artefacts, archaeological evidence recorded by previous researchers, archival and colonial records, interviews, field observations and published works of other researchers, the study investigated how the Elile people participated in the aged-long migration movement of the entire Obolo people from Ancient Egypt to Cameroon and later to Nigeria where they settled in their ancestral home between 855AD and 1255AD and adapted to the Atlantic trade and Christian missionary waves in the 1450s. Elile had ancient fishing and farming practices that had sustained the economy of the community from generation to generation. The original and authentic name, ILILE was firmly maintained in the traditional title of the village head of Elile to show the historical root and the antiquity of the community.The paper argued that the peaceful coexistence, gentle dispersal process and trade networks allowed the community to retain its linguistic prowess , cultural outfits, religious identity and fittingrelevancy across Nigeria. Ultimately, the findings showed that Elile village played a major role in shaping the history,tradition, culture, religion and politics of Eastern Obolo Local Government Area and had served as a melting pot and a pointer of great antiquity to the Obolo people in Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria. The historical evidence on the antiquity of Elile village could serve as an archival chart and evolutional precursory for the preservation of ancestral heritageand development of cultural edifice in Africa.