There are thousands of races in Africa, but one in particular is very special. The Berber ethnicity has held its place in Africa since the beginning of time. It is scattered across Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia. The word “Berber” means barbarian in Roman, and there are around 300 languages over all the tribes within the Berber race. Berbers practice Muslim and “Traditionally, Berbers raised sheep and cattle. However, some Berbers subsist by working in flour mills, doing woodcarving, quarrying millstones, and making pottery or jewelry”(“Berber People”). Modern day Berbers have spread out more, and many now live in Spain or France. More than 5000 years ago, a mummified body was found in an Austrian glacier, and this body had many piercings, including expanded earlobes, tongue and lips. Since this day, thousands of …show more content…
cultures have adopted these traditions of piercing body parts. It became part of this group’s culture, and each custom of piercing resembles a different belief. Nose piercings date back to 1500 B.C., and this lead to many forms of body modifications in the African cultures. “Body modification is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn”, (Agboh-Stroude). Piercings have become increased in popularity in the more recent centuries, and even more after World War II. Body piercings and modifications have become mainstream within the last 50 years in Africa, and is not there has been no decline in the popularity. These beliefs in the nose piercing and skin modifications have been around for centuries. Nose, lip, and ear piercings are the most popular in African tribes. In the early ages, nose rings and jewels symbolized wealth in the Berber and Beja tribes. It is the tradition that believes the larger the jewel or ring should signify the larger the wealth of the family. “In a wedding ceremony, the nose ring was given to the bride to further express her status as a married women”(Echolls). These rings are also used as fashion accessories for women, and men. Ear piercings have a way to them that add a show of status and wealth, as well as add beauty to an outfit.
In the Berber tribes, the ear piercings are large discs that stretch the skin of the earlobe. These discs are sometimes decorated, and worn for celebrations, including puberty celebrations for young boys and girls. In the Berber families in Egypt, it is common to wear hoops and jewels of pretty colors, “while gem-studded golden earrings shaped like asps seem to have been reserved for nobility”(Agboh-Stroude). Ear piercings have been around in thousands of countries worldwide, but the unique ways of the African Berber tribes stand out. The lip piercings in the African tribes are the most unique. A small hole is pierced into the lower lip of a young child around when they reach puberty, and gradually he or she stretches the whole and wears a bigger plate each time. These plates are used to symbolize wealth, depending on the size of it. “Historically the plates represented social status and wealth and were believed to prevent evil spirits entering through the mouth. However, the practice of wearing lip plates is declining
today”(Echolls). African piercings are still around present day, and have spread to various countries around the world. Before World War II, piercings were on a slight decline. “It has experienced an increase of popularity since World War II, with sites other than the ears gaining subcultural popularity in the 1970s and spreading to mainstream in the 1990s.”(“Body Piercing”). It has always been a part of the African Berber culture and it will not be declining any time soon. It has become more mainstream in places like the United States to wear small lip or nose piercings, as well as piercings in the ears of many sizes. The African Berber piercing has become a special part of their culture, and many traditions have formed around different rituals and beliefs. This unique way to express their ideas has been around since the beginning of recorded time, and is now an everyday part of their lives.
In Ibn Battuta’s description of his time in West Africa, he frequently writes of his disapproval in the way women dress and behave in this culture. In traditional Islam society, women are typically under the tight control of their husbands or fathers, and cover their faces with veils so as to not draw any unwanted attention. However, in this region, Battuta notes that, “With regard to their women, they are not modest in the presence of men, they do not veil
Africa is filled with several hundred distinct tribes that all bear themselves in a different fashion, depending on each other, or even fighting each to get what they want. This exchange between the many tribes has resulted in a rich history of conflict, economic development, and culture. One small example of the possible hundreds of tribes is the Mossi tribe, who reside right at the border of sub- Saharan Africa, in Burkina Faso and also the second largest ethnic group in Cote D'ivoire . While a relatively small tribe compared to the likes of the Zulus or the Dinka, their tribe is made up of roughly 3.5 million people, which is still quite a large number.The Mossi are neighboring the people of the Dogon, Kurumba, Gourmantche,Gurunsi, Bisa,Dagomba, and Sisala tribes. The Mossi have an official language called More, pronounced Moray, that is spoken by the them and most of the population of Burkina Faso, as well as about 60,000 people in Togo and Mali. Like many African languages, More uses pitch to distinguish the meaning of words and phrases. Their political was very closely connected with their religion, so as the Muslim religion began to spread throughout Africa, they resisted conversion to the religion even as most of the tribes around them accepted the religion. This may be why there are some Muslim influences within Mossi society. As Africa was being colonized by Europeans, the Mossi were one of the last tribes to be colonized, and when French colonists conquered them in 1896-97, taxes were imposed that impelled many of the Mossi to move to Cote D'ivoire to earn money. While they did not leave their families behind, many Mossi men went south to Cote D'ivoire in between crop-growing seasons and would return with the money th...
In today’s society oral piercing and tattoos are considered a form of self-expression and body art. It is most common among people between the ages of 18 and 30 years old. Those who chose to have tongue piercing and oral tattoos believe that it reflects fashion, a daring personality, independence, and their sexuality. In other cases oral piercings and oral tattoos may be done because of the need for acceptance into a peer group, desire to assert individuality, or for spiritual
Iceman, also called Ötzi, made an astounding impact on society when it was found, since he was the oldest, most prehistoric, and well preserved mummy to ever be discovered. The Iceman is also a natural mummy, and was preserved in ice for almost 5,300 years. His body wasn’t contaminated or changed by burial rites or other intrusions. Iceman was also wearing everyday clothing and the gear of prehistoric men. Even some organic possessions such as a grass cape, fur coat, feathered arrows, and birch bark containers were preserved. This equipment, along with his rare clothing, provides a clear insight of daily life during the Europe’s Copper Age.
Oral piercings are a growing trend in young adults used to represent self expression and uniqueness. Oral piercings are referred to as piercings that are inside the mouth with the most popular being the tongue. Other types include the lip, uvula, frenum, and cheeks. Oral piercings usually have a quick healing time due to their plentiful blood supply in the oral cavity; however, though piercing seems harmless due to its reversibility as compared to tattoos, there is a big concern to dental and medical professionals due to their risks and complications to health (Jannsen & Cooper, 2008).
Over the years, many scientists and archeologists have traveled the world in search of more clues about our past. Among those found was the preserved mummy of a Neolithic man buried in ice. Otzi, a name the mummy earned from the Otztal Alps where he was unearthed, was dated to have lived over 5300 years ago. From the moment of discovery, the Iceman served as a subject of study that pushed back much of what we predicted the human timeline to be. This included the copper age, agriculture, as well as complex crafting of clothing and utilities. Until more recent studies were done it was assumed that Otzi had died at the hands of natural causes such as freezing in a storm. This, however, was proven wrong when further investigation shows that Otzi had died of a more aggressive cause of death. So why was Otzi killed on the high mountain tops of the Otztal Alps? My goal in this paper is to prove why the Iceman was murdered all those years ago.
Perhaps the most notorious of burial practices originating in Egypt is that of mummification. Why such an extraordinary attempt was made to preserve cadavers may seem
It is only recently that more reliable studies have brought to light much information about great civilizations that developed in Africa while Europe was in the period often referred as the Dark Ages. The earliest of these mature civilizations were in West Africa. In a vast region south of the Sahara, Africans organized kingdoms which in time became great empires. This region is called the Sudan (a word meaning "land of the Blacks" in Arabic) The Sudan was important in the early history of Black Africa because the Africans first practiced agriculture in this region, and thus became the first people south of the Sahara to fashion and use iron tools and weapons. They were also among the first people in Africa to organize viable political systems. The Sudanic Blacks had learn to domesticate crops long before the coming of Christianity, and their grain production furnished food for an expanding population.
Overall, when something is nonchalantly labeled as “decorative” or may only be seen through a superficial lens, it is stripped of thousands of years of history and worth. What to one may seem like a fruitless ornament or a fun souvenir to bring home to a friend may be seen by another as a source of protection and an ode to their roots. The evil eye amulet has reached all corners of the world and has maintained its meaning despite differences of language, religion, or
For a long time now body art and decoration has been a custom in many cultural groups. Through research we have learned about the different types of body art and ornamentation such as permanent and nonpermanent tattooing, scarification, and piercings. These forms of body art and ornamentation are done for a variety of reasons, ranging from identification purposes to religious rituals. “Skin, as a visible way of defining individual identity and cultural difference, is not only a highly elaborated preoccupation in many cultures; it is also the subject of wide-ranging and evolving scholarly discourse in the humanities and social sciences” (Schildkrout, 2004). The process of ornamentation and body art is usually a painful experience, but it is a way to signify a person’s self-discovery and their place in society. In this paper, I will explore the different aspects of body art and ornamentation in two different cultures; the Maori people of New Zealand and the Yoruba’s of West Africa and explain the cultural importance of their art.
Have you ever thought to yourself where jewelry began? People use jewelry every day. It’s a way to accessorize yourself and make you stand out from other people. People even use jewelry to show that they have money. But how did jewelry begin? Actually people used jewelry in the time of 1b.c. and before. It wasn’t like it is today but it was still jewelry. The history of jewelry is very interesting. In this paper I will tell you the history of jewelry through the eyes of many different cultures and time periods. You will see that early people used jewelry when some people might not think that they did. Also, as time goes on through the ages the type and taste of different jewelry changes. As technology changes so does the type of jewelry. As time goes on different cultures are in power throughout different areas of the world. Whoever is in charge determines largely the different styles’ of jewelry that are in fashion. For example, when the Romans were in charge of Europe, North Africa, and some of the Middle East, there style of jewelry was the dominant one in those regions.
Body piercings have been around since before Biblical times and even earlier. Body piercings have a very interesting and vast history. The piercing methods have been used for a very long time. There are many different types of bodily piercings that a person can get. The purpose of this paper is to inform the reader about the history of body piercings, popular types of body piercings, modern day piercing, and facts about body piercings.
Throughout history, people have decorated and modified the appearance of their bodies in many different ways. Nostril piercings are thought to have been adopted into the noble castes in the Middle East almost 4000 years ago. Nowadays, nostril piercings have been adopted by Christina Aguilera. In South America, Aztec and Mayan priests pierced their tongues as part of a ritual to communicate with their gods. In several African tribes, the beauty of women was determined by the size of plates that were fitted into their upper lips. In ancient civilizations of Egypt, a “perfect belly button” could elevate someone’s social standing. At that time, only Pharaohs and royal families could pierce their navels. Anyone else was promptly executed. A “perfect belly button”, however, could be a peasant’s ticket to a better life. The ancient Romans pierced their nipples (ouch) to show their strength and endurance. It is also theorized that their nipple jewelry held their cloaks in place!
In the article “Paths of Globalization: From the Berbers to Bach”, renowned cellist, Yo-Yo Ma (2008) discusses the positive ways in which globalization can help us evolve through cultural traditions. Some people are threatened with the idea of globalization and living by someone else’s rules, but it may have a positive effect on our society as well. I agree with the author’s idea that globalization can help create new cultures and spread old traditions.
Libya dates back to the Berber tribes settling in around the North African coast as early as 3000 BC. Berber tribes were mostly farmers, and so it made sense for them to live close to a water source, such as the sea, and it was also perfect to settle in on the Libyan coast as it had the needed soil for the farmers to