APQ - APPON PHILOSOPHICAL QUARTERLY

The paper aims at demonstrating the relevance of oral tradition to the study of the archaeology and history of African societies. It focuses on the study of the history of origins and migrations of the Shitire, a Tiv group in the KatsinaAla Basin, Benue Valley of Nigeria. The migratory history of two lineage families of the Shitire was studied through oral interviews at Shikaan, north east of Katsina Ala town. On the basis of genealogical calculations, it was established that the Shitire, and perhaps other Tiv groups, inhabited the Benue valley around the 15th century. This paper asserts the importance of oral tradition to the study of human history and debunks the erroneous views against the viability of oral traditions in archaeological and historical reconstruction.

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