Science, technology began in Ile-Ife over 4000 years ago, says Ooni Ogunwusi
By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo
Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11 has said that the cradle of civilization started with the black race, particularly in Ile-Ife, contrary to the general believe that civilization started in the Western world.
Speaking during the on-site exhibition and opening of the ancient Olokun Heritage site in Ile-ife, Oba Ogunwusi stated that sciences and technology had been established in the site for over 4000 years.
The monarch maintained that anything that has to do with technology today has a link to glass technology which was first established at Igbo Olokun.
According to Oba Ogunwusi, the site is where the symbol of Yoruba people ‘Ori Olokun’ was discovered and excavated in 1910 and taken to the British Museum, where it is till date.
He said: “They will tell us that they are the ones that discovered chemistry, physics but all that is a no, because it is very evident here now. It is celebration not only for Ile-Ife but also for the entire black race. It has actually been established today and nobody can prove it otherwise that we were the first material scientists as far as physics and chemistry is concerned. We have seen glass crucibles here dated over 4,000 years and our ancestors were passing it down from generation to generation and we can see it evidently.
“The Western world have been trying to dig deep to find out how this whole thing started. During the research, they went to a market in Katunga of the old Oyo empire and they saw some very special objects in the early 18th century, specifically, Richard Ladnah put it in his journal which is all over the museums globally now that I saw something in Katunga, old Oyo empire and everybody said that you can only find it where all of us came from which is the city of Ife.
“He traced it back here in 1830 and was marveled to see a very broad based industry rolling out glass technology in millions and it is being spread across the world. They started doing that research further. Another set came in. Germans came in the early 19th century, Leo Fibohnior came in 1910 and they kept digging and that was when they saw the symbol of Yoruba people which is the Ori Olokun.
“Some first sets were taken from Wumonije compound all the way to British museum but this was freshly discovered here and it is actually linked to bronze technology, Iron technology which is the Iron and Bronze age all the way to using aluminum as a technology, using copper, using gold. The Malian empire, the Songai empire headed by Mansa Munsa, we have all seen the trace of them coming here to see the way and manner our ancestors were material scientists.”
On repatriation of artifacts and antiquities of Yoruba origin, Ooni Ogunwusi said, for all the artifacts and antiques to come back, we need to create a very good base.
“It is good to request and celebrate the repatriation of these artifacts but the most important is for us to plug it appropriately, for the common use of all of us and those are the things that we want to established first.
“That is why we are working with our tertiary institutions, including the Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Ibadan and others to ensure that we have a successful repatriation,” he said.
In his goodwill message, the Director-General of the National Commission for Museum and Monuments, (NCMM), Prof. Abba Isa Tijani, explained that artifacts such as the discoveries from the Igbo Olokun Heritage site, can be used for cultural cooperation and understand in the face of the current challenges confronting the country.
Also, a professor of Archeology from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Adisa Ogunfolakan called on government at all levels to develop tourism sector which he described as goldmine and multimillion dollar sector.
