Ethiopia’s cultural diversity is quite amazing to say the least. It is impressive even to us Ethiopians who are living in this blessed land with all is cultural riches spreading near and far under our very eyes. Foreign visitors are flabbergasted by the originality of our cultures and traditions that are not only unique but also created at a time when much the world was living in total anonymity.
The originality, creativity and cultural diversity of Ethiopians have come together through centuries to form a kind of cultural symbiosis that blend all the traditions together into one great identity. Ethiopia is thus a product of the temporal and spiritual blending of hundreds of cultures and languages that are found nowhere in the rest of the world. They are both silent witnesses to Ethiopia’s great past both as an idea and a reality that became most visible through time.
The trouble with our rich traditions and cultures is that they are mostly unknown let alone properly explored and studied. Others are relatively better known among a minority group of anthropologists or social scientists while the domestic as well as the foreign public is left in the dark. The Konso culture is one among many ancient cultures that are largely the domains of university researchers while they are ignored or unknown by the general public.
In the past, French anthropologists were particularly interested in the Konso culture and the Tiya steles in particular for their relevance, significance and symbolism of the carved stones of tombs and the phallic-shaped structures dispersed widely. Other researchers were interested in the significance walled towns that could compare to defensive fortresses in medieval Europe that were built to stave off foreign invasions. Still other researchers focused on the stone terracing that formed the basis of Konso farming life in the past. Surprisingly, no local research has ever been conducted to discover the significance of Konso terracing in the context of modern agriculture and apply the findings to improve the lives of the Konso people.
Geographically speaking, the Konso mainly reside in Ethiopia’s Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region, south of Lake Chamo in the Sagan River bend. Many are concentrated in the Konso Zone. Their territory is adjacent to Omotic, Sidama and Oromo communities. Konso typically live in large towns, each governed by a council of elders. A few can also be found in parts of northern Kenya.
Another interesting feature of the Konso culture is that it is a universally significant human achievement the depth and significance of which has never been fully understood despite isolated attempts. According to a UNESCO research paper the Konso cultural landscape, “is characterized by extensive dry stone terraces bearing witness to the persistent human struggle to use and harness the hard, dry and rocky environment. The terraces retain the soil from erosion, collect a maximum of water, discharge the excess, and create terraced fields that are used for agriculture. The terraces are the main features of the Konso landscape and the hills are contoured with the dry stone walls, which at places reach up to 5 meters in height.”
The UNESCO study has also revealed the settlement patterns of the Konso people that were located in high plains and summits that were selected for their strategic defensive advantages against invasions of the walled towns, land occupation and cattle thefts by neighboring tribes. Describing these structures, the study says that, “These towns are circled by between one and six rounds of dry stone defensive walls, built of locally available rock.
The traditional forests are used as burial places for ritual leaders and for medicinal purposes. Wooden anthropomorphic statues (waka), carved out of a hard wood and mimicking the deceased, are erected as grave markers. Water reservoirs (harda) located in or near these forests, are communally built and are, like the terraces, maintained by very specific communal social and cultural practices.”
The UNESCO had registered the Konso Cultural Landscape as World heritage center as of June 27, 2011. Konso Cultural Landscape is a 55km2 arid lands of stone walled terraces and fortified settlements in the Konso highlands of Ethiopia. There are nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ethiopia as of 2019. The first sites were listed in 1978. Only one natural site is included in the list and the other eight are all Cultural sites. They are, according to the years of the registration, Aksum (1980), Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar Region (1979),Hara Jegol, the Fortified Historic Town (2006), Konso Cultural Landscape (2011), Lower Valley of the Awash (1980), Lower Valley of the Omo (1980) Rock Hewn Churches, Lalibela (1978)Semien National Park (1978), Tiya (1980).
Researchers who had the chance to visit the Konso cultural landscape were astounded by the enormous human efforts and hard work that went not only into the making of the walls, or terraces but also the resilience of the population in the face of such a hostile environmental condition in a mostly arid and highland territory. “Konso Cultural Landscape is an arid property of stone walled terraces and fortified settlements in the Konso highlands of Ethiopia. It constitutes a spectacular example of a living cultural tradition stretching back 21 generations (more than 400 years) adapted to its dry hostile environment.”
The other features of the Konso cultural landscape are “The traditional forests are used as burial places for ritual leaders and for medicinal purposes. Wooden anthropomorphic statues (waka) carved out of a hard wood and mimicking the deceased, are erected as grave markers. Water reservoirs (harda) located in or near these forests, are communally built and are, like the terraces, maintained by very specific communal social and cultural practices.”
What is interesting is that the Konso people have not abandoned their culture and way of life that date back 400 years ago. According to a foreign visitor, the modern Konso town has retained some of the basic features of the old town. As he described it, the present day town, “might prosaically be described as a traffic circle of comically vast dimensions, surrounded by a solitary petrol station and a scattering of local hotels.”
According to a 2017 blog-post entitled, “Understanding landscape evolution in studies of terraced agriculture, “A York archaeologist has carried out research studying the evolution of an agricultural terraced landscape in Ethiopia.”
Another blog-post titled, “From Stone Walls and Terraced Fields: Learn about Konso’s Cultural Landscape” says that, “the remarkable culture of the Konso tribe was developed in virtual isolation. They are very passionate people and have little affiliation with outside influences except trading with the Borena for salt or cowrie shells. Although they are known to be a peaceful tribe, they guard their territory jealously. This is evident in the fact that each village is surrounded by a stone wall. Their lands are mostly terraced and planted with trees while their fertile fields are also tended and well irrigated.”
The Konso Cultural Landscape consists of 200 km2 of stone walled terraces and fortified settlements. Designated as an UNESCO world heritage site in 2011, it provides a 600 year-old example of how human beings adapted to a dry and unforgiving environment.”
The Konso people have also embraced some major aspects of modernity. “…as of 2003 Konso’s amenities include digital telephone access, postal service, electricity provided by a generator, and a branch of a microfinance organization. Local industries include beekeeping, cotton weaving, and agriculture. The market is held on Mondays and Thursdays at a point 2 kilometers from town along the Jinka Road.”
From the above description of the stone-walled towns, we can safely say that the Konso people had a developed sense of architectural imagination although it may not be compared to the genius of the Ethiopians who built Aksum or Lalibella. Architects could for instance take the initiative to study Konso architecture in order to develop a home-grown idea of building authentically Ethiopian towns from local construction materials.
Unfortunately, there are little practical efforts being made to popularize the Konso culture both to the domestic and international publics. The tourism authorities in Ethiopia should be aware of the potentials of the Konso culture or region as a tourist destination that could generate valuable hard currency income in these hard times.
Local universities should also encourage young students to take Konso cultural landscape as their major area of study so that the various aspects of Konso culture could be revealed and made use in the development of the country. The local authorities in the southern region should also make efforts to popularize the other aspects of Konso culture such as music, dance and others. It will certainly take a new aproah ad a new generation of Konso population to understand the legacy of their culture which is not only amazing but also worth studying and celebrating as a model of hard work and creativity.
BY MULUGETA GUDETA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 13 MAY 2022
