Somewhere in Cross River, stones have been standing in circles for centuries. But these are not the kind of stones you simply walk past. They have faces carved into them, intricate markings across their bodies and stories that researchers are still trying to understand.

They have eyes, noses and open mouths. Some have beards, hands and fingers carved into their surfaces, while others carry spirals, circles, triangles and other geometric patterns.

These are the Ikom Monoliths, also called Akwanshi or Atal. They are concentrated in the Cross River region and are most closely associated with the Bakor peoples. More than 300 examples have been documented, spread across roughly 30 sites.

A history carved into stone

The monoliths are usually carved from basalt, although some were made from sandstone and shelly limestone. They range from small stones to columns more than two metres tall, with many arranged in circular or oval groups and facing towards a central space.

Their carved faces are what make them unusual. Many feature bold eyes, open mouths, beards and facial markings. Others have hands, navels and elaborate geometric designs. The patterns include spirals, concentric circles, diamonds, triangles and zigzags.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) notes that the stones are found in more than 30 communities, sometimes at village meeting places and sometimes in forested areas outside settlements.

That arrangement suggests they were not simply decorative stones. They were part of the social and cultural life of the communities around them.

Also Read: The Marshall Caves: Inside Bauchi’s mysterious rock shelters

The monoliths are generally attributed to the Bakor peoples, whose communities include Alok, Nnam, Nkum and others in the Cross River region.

Researchers have linked the stones to ancestry, lineage, status and community memory. Their human features may have represented important ancestors or founding figures, while the circles may have served communal or ritual purposes.

The stones therefore seem to have been more than sculptures. They were part of a way of remembering people and preserving ideas about identity and community.

The mystery of their age 

For years, researchers relied heavily on oral histories to date the tradition. One earlier interpretation placed the beginning of monolith carving around the sixteenth century.

Excavations carried out by Nigerian archaeologist Ekpo Eyo at Alok produced a radiocarbon date of about 200 CE, suggesting that the tradition has much deeper roots. The Metropolitan Museum of Art describes more than 300 monoliths in the region as belonging to a tradition spanning roughly 200 to 1900 CE.

This does not mean every stone was carved in 200 CE. Instead, it points to a tradition that developed and changed over many centuries. That is important because the monoliths were not the product of one moment in history. Their designs and uses appear to have evolved.

What do the symbols say?

The stones are covered with markings, but there is no simple translation for them.

Some researchers have explored connections between the designs and Nsibidi, a historic system of signs associated with the Cross River region. Similar motifs also appear in other forms of regional art.

Their meanings may have related to ancestry, status, identity, spirituality or other aspects of community life, but scholars continue to debate their interpretation.

The stones have survived, but the people who created them have not, and so some of the messages they left behind remain difficult to read.

The monoliths have survived for centuries. Weather, vegetation and human activity can damage the stones. Some have also been moved or disturbed over time. UNESCO notes that some stones have been affected by weather and human interference.

Nigeria has recognised their cultural importance. The National Commission for Museums and Monuments lists the carved stone monoliths at Alok and Emaghabe as national monuments.

Internationally, the Alok Ikom Stone Monoliths were added to UNESCO’s Tentative List in 2007. They are not yet a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nigeria currently has two properties on the World Heritage List: the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove and Sukur Cultural Landscape.

What the stones remember 

The most fascinating thing about the Ikom Monoliths is how much they tell us without giving us the whole story. A face tells us someone wanted to represent something, a circle tells us the stones were deliberately arranged; a geometric pattern tells us their makers were communicating through more than shape.

But exactly what every face and symbol meant is still being worked out and that is what makes the monoliths worth looking at again.

Meiza Nigeria