Ikom Monoliths

Several hundred carved stones stand in and around villages of the Ejagham country near Ikom, upright basalt and shale monoliths generally between one and two metres high, carved with stylised human faces, spirals, concentric circles and lines of marks that some researchers have argued form a writing or notation system. They are known locally as akwanshi and are associated with ancestors, set in circles that appear to relate to former settlement sites; dating estimates range widely, with many placed in the second half of the first millennium and later. Alok is the most visited group. Many stones have been damaged by fire, farming or theft, and the site is on Nigeria's tentative list.

What you actually see

• The carved faces - the stylised human features cut into the stone.
• Abstract marks - the spirals, circles and line signs on the surfaces.
• The stone circles - the arrangements standing in village clearings.
• The Alok group - the most accessible and best-known set.

When to go

November to March in the dry season for the roads. Mornings give better light for the carvings. Village permission should be sought before entering the enclosures.

Honest expectations

Permission and a fee are negotiated with the village and arrangements are informal. Many stones are damaged, fallen or missing. There is no interpretation on site. Roads to the outer villages are rough.

Nearby

Agbokim falls are close; Calabar lies south.