Cultural Technology and Indigenous Symbolism in Oroko Land: A Critical Re‑Examination of “iso” and Neck Beads

African societies possess complex symbolic systems that function not only as cultural expressions but also as technologies for organizing social life, transmitting knowledge, and sustaining identity. This article critically examines two central Oroko cultural symbols—the “iso” and the neck beads worn by Oroko chiefs through the lens of Cultural Technology. Drawing on ethnographic interviews, participant observation, and symbolic analysis, the study argues that these items function as sophisticated indigenous technologies that encode authority, identity, cosmology, and social regulation. The research demonstrates that these symbols operate as communicative devices, governance tools, and repositories of indigenous knowledge. The study further explores how modernization, Christianity, and globalization reshape their meanings and uses. Findings reveal that Oroko symbols remain dynamic cultural technologies that continue to structure leadership legitimacy, social cohesion, and cultural continuity in Oroko land. The article calls for renewed scholarly attention to African indigenous technologies as frameworks for understanding cultural resilience and innovation.

Oroko, cultural technology, symbolism, indigenous knowledge systems, material culture

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