Konso, given its name after the people of Konso , is renowned for its religious traditions, waga sculptures, and close by fossil beds (the aforementioned is an archaeological site of ancient hominids). This site was included among the UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1997 on September 30, because of its supposed international cultural value of terracing agriculturally.
The Konso stay in a remote part of the basalt hills. The region consists of solid rocky slopes. Konso village could be fortified using a stone wall employed as a protective measure, their own village is found on hilltops and it is separated into communities, with every community possessing a main hut. So as to get into a Konso village, you need to go through a gate plus a number of alleys. The paths are components of its security system, preserving the village challenging to access.
They’re mixed agriculturists utilizing their dry plus infertile lands to cultivate crops. The Animal dung is utilized to fertilize the ground so their important food-crop is sorghum. This Sorghum is utilized as flour and used to make their local beer. Coffee, Grains, corn, beans and cotton are as well cultivated by the Konso tribes.
The construction of stones plus poles is portion of the Konso tradition. Each 18 years a generation pole is elevated, marking the beginning of a brand new generation. Actually the age of every village is determined by the number of standing poles. Carved wooden-statues are as well utilized to label the grave of a well-known Konso tribal person. The marker, known as a Waga is positioned above the grave and also smaller statues are placed near the larger one symbolizing his wives plus conquered enemies.
Even though the Konso people possess several customs that date back to several centuries, it’s not unusual for them to be spotted wearing the modern day clothing. As more recent generations develop, their traditional clothing has gradually transformed to modern societies. Konso is certainly a fascinating tribe to check out on your visit to the Omo Valley.