You would agree that after post #34, this is completely expected. Drop the intention of “a lawsuit if Lami didn’t do the needful”. I got you covered, my friend.
I’ll talk about pyramids.
What is a pyramid? It is a “three-dimensional shape with a square base and triangular sides that meet in a point”, according to National Geographic. Pyramids are ancient temples or tomb structures.
You’ve probably seen pictures online. In case you’ve seen a pyramid in real life, send me pictures, pweessee ?
The first thing we associate pyramids with is the land of Egypt. However, did you know that other countries host the incredible monument too? Yes, you can find pyramids in countries like Sudan, Brazil, China, France, Indonesia, Italy, and Mexico, to name a few.
Today, I discovered that pyramids also exist in Nigeria! I’m shook, and will come back to this soon.
Of course, Egypt is the baba of them all, hosting up to 118 of the world’s over 400 (and counting) pyramids. Beyond this, Egypt is also home to the original largest pyramid in the world, The Great Pyramid of Giza (TGPG). I say, “original” because the three other pyramids that have overtaken it were constructed only a few hundred to tens of years ago. TGPG was constructed between 2551-2528 BC (over 4000 years ago… how old were you then?) within a period of 10 to 20 years and stands at about 454.5 feet (think 76 6ft humans standing on top of each other). It has a smooth white limestone casing that reflected sunlight and moonlight at some point, which made it about 481 feet tall. Unfortunately, that has been removed now. TGPG is also part of the old seven wonders of the world.
Bruh, I love all these for Egypt, but did you know that Sudan has the most number of pyramids in the world? You should read more about them.
I’m bringing it home now. Let’s talk about the Nsude Pyramids of Nigeria.
Built with red clay that dried and hardened with time, the Nsude pyramids are clear evidence of the existence of a once-thriving pre-colonial African society;the Igbo people of West Africa.
I must mention that I strongly believe that every culture in Africa was once a developed nation before strange men sat at a round table to devise gruesome means to destroy thriving economies blessed with people who were minding their business. On this note, I am Yoruba before I am Nigerian, just as my fellow Ibibio, Igbo, Egun, Hausa, and Fulani, are who they are before they were assigned Nigerian at birth. Nevertheless, I strongly believe in a thriving Nigeria if we all hold one another’s hands and decide to pursue freedom from a shackled mentality. I desperately want to see my country bloom as it should. Nigeria has every human and material resource it needs to be one of the best countries in the world.
Sigh. On another note, it pains me to think about colonialism and how the histories of African communities are either long perished or utterly rewritten to make certain persons the saviours. I’m curious about when our stolen treasures will be returned.
Moving on (if I can ever manage to)…
The Nsude pyramids are a series of pyramids located on the Udi highlands of Enugu State. The true number of pyramids is unknown, but some people say 10. Enugu is in the South-East of Nigeria, and is popularly known as the “Coal City state”.
The period of construction or purpose of the pyramids is still uncertain. One sure fact is that they were built by innovative ancient Igbo people. Sources have it that it was built by the Eri-era Igbos. These people are thought to have a Judeo-Nubian connection. They “came from Eri Ben Gad’s household in the Chineroth area in Canaan, and from the households of some Nubian chieftains he met in the Saqqara area of Egypt-Sudan” – Source.
This is plausible if we consider the fact that the Nsude pyramids are structurally similar to Egypt’s first pyramid, the Step pyramid of Saqqara which was constructed in 2648 BC. The Nsude pyramids are structurally different from most pyramids. They are circular and have 4 to 5 steep steps. The base have a circumference of about 60ft and is about 2-6ft high.
Concerning their purpose, some posit that they were created for the worship of the gods, Ala or Uto. A stick was placed at the top the pyramid where it was believed that either of them resided. Others believe that it could have also been a post for surveying invaders.
I wonder how the idea for the pyramid came. I have always had the belief that multiple people can have the exact same idea. So, perhaps someone’s Igbo ancestor ingeniously got the creative idea to build the interesting structure. S/he then told his/her peeps, and they were like, “yoooo, let’s do it!”. Then, s/he was given a “Clan’s Innovative Person of the Year” award.
On the other hand, it is also reasonable to think that some peeps migrated from Egypt to somewhere around Umuaka and Ugwuto and brought the idea with them. Alternatively, an Igbo traveller could have been touring the world, seen a pyramid, and just knew that her/his nation had to have that too.
Also, what is the original Igbo name of the structures? Surely, the ancient Igbo people did not call them, “pyramids”.
I also wonder about the tools used for construction.
The Nsude Pyramids stand as shreds of evidence of cultural and technological advancement. I’m not surprised that the Igbos had pyramids. They also had an ancient writing system.
The pyramids stood tall for hundreds or possibly thousands of years. At the moment, they are left to their fate. I hope that, someday, people will rise and restore these historical monuments to their former glory.
These are 500 words (or more ?)! Talk to you tomorrow!