HISTORICAL ECOLOGY OF TIV MIGRATION AND CONFLICTS IN THE BENUE VALLEY OF NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR FOOD SECURITY.

Summary

When the Tiv, a Bantu language speaking group migrated into the Benue Valley of Nigeria from southwestern Cameroon over five hundred years ago, they faced hostilities from different groups in the valley. Hilltops readily served as important settlement locales to protect the Tiv from violence and conflict. As they migrated from one hilltop to another they eventually settled over much of the Middle Benue Valley. Archaeological research in the valley has investigated these ancient hilltop sites with emphasis on Tiv migrations and settlement history. But none of these investigations has considered the role of the biophysical environment regarding food resources and food production. This presentation reports on the on-going archaeological research to investigate the relationship between conflict and food production by the hilltop communities, and resilience to food crises during such conflicts. Using archaeological, ethnographic, ecological, and historical data these findings will address issues of conflict and food security in the valley today.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Historical Ecology for Applied Archaeology: Climate Change, Resource Management, and Governance

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14831