From Uduma Kalu
*CHAPTER 17: C14 DATING OF MONOLITHS VS EKOI/EJAGHAM ARRIVAL - PROOF OF TWO-PHASE ORIGIN*
*A. Monolith Dating Evidence*
1. Late Prof Ekpo Eyo, first Director-General National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), 30 years research dated monoliths around *200 AD*
2. Two C14 datings *somewhere between 200 and 1850 AD* - "volcanic-stone monoliths of unknown age (based on two C14 datings, somewhere between 200 and 1850 AD)"
3. Upper Cross River archaeological and other studies concentrated over 300 monoliths which are National Monuments. Various aspects significance including *date of about 200 A.D.*
4. Trend analysis: Archaeological studies suggest monoliths erected *between 200 CE and 1000 CE* linked Ekoi-speaking people, also *between 200 A.D. and 1000 A.D*, also *200 and 1900 A.D.*
5. Oral tradition: source reiterated Akwanshi carved *between 16th and 20th Century AD*
6. Local inflation: Chief Sylvanus Ekoh Alok - first archaeologists using carbon dating put age *around 2000 years*, more recent studies using carbon dating estimated age Alok *4500 years* roughly as old Egyptian pyramids, 10 minutes later multiplied age by 100 assuring visitors *450,000 years old*- unreliable.
Scientific consensus: *Phase A 200-1000 CE*, *Phase B 16th-20th century*.
*B. Ejagham Arrival Evidence*
7. Ikom monoliths Ejagham may have engraved around *200 CE*- attribution not C14, colonial.
8. By *200 AD, the Ejagham civilization had developed to such advanced level that gave inspiration to creation of ingenious forms as exemplified by Ikom monoliths and Nsibidi script.* There was large centralized Ejagham kingdom capacity mobilizing citizenry- location Lake Ejagham Manyu, not Ikom.
9. Predominant paternal haplogroup E1b1a1-M2 ancestors originally Northeast Africa moved around Green Sahara gradual movement Proto Ejagham to Lake Ejagham area may have been associated expansion Sahel agriculture African Neolithic following desiccation Sahara *c. 3500 BCE*
10. Core homeland Manyu Division SW Cameroon Lake Ejagham near Eyumojock town Akpa Lekanakpakpa area, Manyu widely recognized core homeland communities straddle Cameroon Nigeria, *Yakurr migration around 1617* no Nigeria Cameroon countries, Boki Ejagham share contiguous stretch kin SW Cameroon originally settled vicinity *Nchang and Mbankang* internal conflicts population pressure search for salt.
11. Between *1780 and 1840 AD, the Ejagham group in present-day Akamkpa LGA settled in Mfamosing*, completing southward migration.
12. Chief Akong oral: Were monoliths met by ancestors upon arrival or did they create afterwards? "It seems likely that most of these monoliths were *carried from mother quarry or riverbed called Ndi Nto in Nnam*. From there, they were carried to different communities wherever they settled. System used logging rope forest tie particular stone hit gong evoke authority Nyàmàngbè i.e. Ékpè, because all respected Nyàmàngbè society to enforce compliance young men age-grade to roll monoliths on logs into village"
13. Whole Ikom from here to Okuni south into Akamkpa among Quas in Calabar we are all from one source Ejagham people who *came with Ekpe from Cameroon*
*C. Disconnect*
- If Ejagham engraved 200 CE, they must be in Ikom 200 CE. But migration data shows in *Lake Ejagham Manyu Cameroon in 200 AD*, only moved Ikom *1617* and *1780-1840*. 1400-year gap.
- If Ejagham arrived 1617, they cannot have carved 200 AD, but can have carved 16th-20th century oral phase.
- *Ndi Nto riverbed quarry* proves secondary transport: monoliths found in riverbed, carried to villages, recarved. Basalt source Ndi Nto in Nnam. This matches two-phase: original Igbo monoliths 200 AD left in abandoned villages, Ejagham found them, carried, recarved faces representing dead chiefs whose names not known (because not their ancestors).
*D. Iron Source Confirms*
- Lejja Otobo Ugwu Square 800 slag 34-57kg 2000 BCE 150km road Ikom-Obudu-Nsukka, provides iron chisels for 200 AD Phase A.
- Gbatoro Adamawa 2368 BCE 650km no road, Adamawa has no monoliths, only pottery engravings 5000-8000 years Bidzar, La Nga 52 monoliths elliptical 10 tonnes oriented Mount Cameroon not decorated not phallus - different tradition.
- Ikom zero furnace zero slag, needs import.
Therefore Phase A belongs to Cross River Igbo yam-iron complex (Isobo AJI ORINJI Eke Orie Afor Nkwo Lejja iron), Phase B belongs to Ejagham arrival 1617 recarving using Ekpe age-grade labour.
*E. Genetics Seals*
Veeramah 10% gene flow per generation Fixation Index at most 0.002 very low substantial gene flow overall genetic homogeneity face language variation - same DNA, culture shift when Ejagham arrived 1617 and bought Ekpe grades for protection slave wars.
*Final thesis sentence:*
C14 200-1850 AD and Eyo 200 AD predates documented Ejagham settlement Ikom (1617 Yakurr, 1780-1840 Mfamosing) by 1400 years, indicating initial monolith tradition belongs earlier Cross River Igbo yam-iron complex associated with Lejja (2000 BCE, 150km), while 16th-20th century oral phase corresponds Ejagham secondary carving after transport from Ndi Nto riverbed using Ekpe Nyàmàngbè age-grade system.
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