Good news has again come the way of Ekiti State as another potentially significant heritage-tourism treasure has been physically located in Aramoko-Ekiti.
What initially appeared as unusual formations detected through satellite mapping has now been found to exist physically on the ground, following a field investigation by archaeologists and heritage researchers in collaboration with the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development.
The development has raised fresh hopes that Aramoko may be sitting on an important but hitherto untapped archaeological and heritage resource capable of adding another dimension to Ekiti State’s growing tourism portfolio.
The team, comprising Dr Opajide Segun and Mr A. Uranta Opuada of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), Benin City, alongside Mr Bamidele Joseph of the Ekiti Biodiversity Survey Project, had earlier identified intriguing formations around Aramoko through satellite imagery.
Following their initial engagement with the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development, the Director-General of the Bureau, Wale Ojo-Lanre, Esq., promptly facilitated a physical visit to Aramoko to establish whether the features captured remotely could actually be identified on the ground.
And they were.
The archaeological team, guided by the traditional institution, physically observed landscape features corresponding with those earlier identified through satellite mapping, thereby providing an important basis for further professional archaeological investigation.
Before departing for Aramoko, the team visited the Ekiti State Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Prof. Rasaki Ojo Bakare, who is himself a native of Aramoko-Ekiti.
Prof. Bakare, visibly delighted by the development, described the initiative as welcome, progressive and capable of opening a fresh window into the rich history of Aramoko.
He noted that the ancient town possesses numerous cultural and heritage assets that have remained largely undocumented and insufficiently exposed.
According to him, the intervention of professional archaeologists could assist greatly in identifying, documenting and promoting some of these resources for the benefit of Aramoko, Ekiti State and future generations.
From the Commissioner’s office, the delegation proceeded to Aramoko, where it was warmly and enthusiastically received by the Regent of Aramoko-Ekiti, Regent Sherifat Owolabi Adeyemi, alongside chiefs and other traditional stakeholders.
Regent Sherifat Owolabi Adeyemi expressed excitement over the visit and welcomed the interest being shown by the experts in the history and heritage of the community.
The archaeologists subsequently held an extensive dialogue lasting about one hour with the Regent and the chiefs.
During the interaction, the researchers explained the purpose of their mission, the nature of the formations previously observed through satellite imagery and the importance of combining modern archaeological techniques with oral tradition, community memory and indigenous knowledge.
The Regent and the chiefs also shared valuable historical information about Aramoko and its landscape with the visiting researchers.
Thereafter came the defining moment of the exercise.
Regent Sherifat Owolabi Adeyemi, accompanied by the chiefs, personally led the archaeologists and Wale Ojo-Lanre, Esq. to parts of Aramoko associated with the formations earlier detected from space.
At the locations visited, the experts were able to physically identify landscape features corresponding with what had earlier been observed through satellite imagery.
The exercise represents an important archaeological process known as ground-truthing — physically inspecting and verifying features initially detected through satellite imagery, aerial photography or remote-sensing technology.
Although the physical confirmation is encouraging, the researchers stressed that more detailed scientific work would still be required to determine the age, origin, extent, construction technique and historical function of the features.
The formations may potentially represent an ancient moat, defensive earthwork, historic settlement boundary or another form of human-modified landscape, but further archaeological investigation will be required before a definitive conclusion can be reached.
The significance of the latest development, however, lies in the fact that the satellite-mapped features are not merely digital impressions — corresponding physical formations actually exist on the Aramoko landscape.
Dr Opajide Segun, Mr A. Uranta Opuada and Mr Bamidele Joseph assured Regent Sherifat Owolabi Adeyemi and the people of Aramoko that the preliminary exercise would not end with the visit.
They indicated that further work could involve detailed mapping, documentation, oral-history research and other archaeological studies aimed at establishing the true nature, extent and historical importance of the heritage landscape.
The MOWAA team also commended the Director-General of the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development, Wale Ojo-Lanre, Esq., for being one of the key drivers of the initiative and for appreciating the potential significance of the satellite findings from the outset.
They praised his proactive approach in immediately connecting professional researchers with Government, the traditional institution and the host community instead of allowing the information to remain merely an interesting satellite observation.
The experts noted that heritage resources could remain unknown or disappear altogether where there is no institutional consciousness or official willing to take the necessary first step towards research and conservation.
Ojo-Lanre described the development as another piece of good news for Ekiti tourism, noting that it reinforces the belief that many valuable tourism resources in the State are still waiting to be properly identified, researched and developed.
He said:
“What makes today particularly exciting is that something first observed through satellite mapping has now been physically located on the ground. That gives our archaeologists a tangible landscape to investigate further.
“We must not run ahead of science by making conclusions about its exact age or historical purpose at this stage. Let the professionals do their work.
“But there is every reason for Ekiti to be happy that another potentially significant and previously untapped heritage resource has been identified within our State.”
Ojo-Lanre said tourism development should extend beyond the conventional emphasis on hotels, festivals, mountains, waterfalls and resorts.
According to him, archaeology, ancient settlements, historic landscapes, oral traditions and the footprints of earlier generations are equally powerful tourism resources capable of attracting researchers, students, historians and heritage tourists.
He added that should subsequent investigation establish substantial archaeological and historical importance, Aramoko could eventually emerge as an important destination for archaeological tourism, heritage tourism, educational excursions, academic research and community-based cultural experiences.
Such development could also generate economic opportunities for the local population through guiding services, transportation, accommodation, food services, arts, crafts and other tourism-related enterprises.
The Director-General said the initiative is in tandem with the broader tourism development vision of the administration of Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, which continues to encourage the identification, preservation and productive utilisation of Ekiti’s natural, cultural and historical resources.
The Bureau maintained that the next stage should focus on deeper scientific investigation, professional documentation, conservation and sustained community participation.
For Regent Sherifat Owolabi Adeyemi and the people of Aramoko, the development could mark the beginning of a new chapter in the documentation and appreciation of their ancient community.
For Ekiti State, it is another reminder that some of its greatest tourism treasures may still be lying quietly beneath its soil and within its historic landscapes, waiting for science and heritage research to bring them to light.
Ekiti may indeed have gained another potential heritage-tourism treasure.
