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Taita People
The Taita people are an ethnic group in Kenya's Taita-Taveta County. They speak Kidawida or Kitaita, which belongs to the Bantu language family. The West-Bantu migrated to the Taita-Taveta County around 1000-1300.N. Vogt & J. Wiesenhütter: Land use and socio-economic structure of Taita-Taveta County (S-Kenya) – Potentials and constraints (October 2000) There is debate about whether the Taita people migrated to Kenya through Tanzania. They settled in Kenya in five groups, each occupying different areas in the present-day Taita-Taveta District. During their settlement, the Taita-speaking people interacted with other tribes such as the Taveta, Pare of Tanzania, and Maasai. However, evidence suggests that migration occurred interchangeably throughout the history of these groups, and the Taita people should be considered part of the larger population inhabiting the Kilimanjaro Corridor. The Taita subgroup or subtribes include the Wadawida, who traditionally lived around Dawi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taita-Taveta District
Taita-Taveta District (formerly Taita District) was a district of Kenya, located in the Coast Province of the country. It lies approximately 200 km northwest of Mombasa city and 360 km southeast of Nairobi city. The district was created by the colonial authorities in 1895 as Taita District, one of the original districts of Ukamba Province of the East Africa Protectorate. It included the Taveta sub-districts. In 1902, the district became part of Seyidiye Province headquartered at Mwatate, then Voi from 1911. In 1914, the Taveta sub-district was occupied by the Germans and was administered as part of the Moshi District of Tanganyika. After its reoccupation by the British in 1916, Taveta sub-district, was rejoined to Taita in 1921, with the entire district rejoining the Ukamba Province, till 1933 when it joined the Coast Province. In 1963, it was one of the forty districts of Kenya. It was later renamed to include 'Taveta'. The population of the district in the 1980s was approx ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maasai Language
Maasai (previously spelled ''Masai'') or Maa ( ; autonym: ''ɔl Maa'') is an Eastern Nilotic language spoken in Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania by the Maasai people, numbering about 1.5 million. It is closely related to the other Maa varieties: Samburu (or Sampur), the language of the Samburu people of central Kenya, Chamus, spoken south and southeast of Lake Baringo (sometimes regarded as a dialect of Samburu); and Parakuyu of Tanzania. The Maasai, Samburu, il-Chamus and Parakuyu peoples are historically related and all refer to their language as . Properly speaking, "Maa" refers to the language and the culture and "Maasai" refers to the people "who speak Maa". Phonology The Maasai variety of as spoken in southern Kenya and Tanzania has 30 contrasting phonemes, including a series of implosive consonants. In Maasai, tone has a very productive role, conveying a wide range of grammatical and semantic functions. Consonants In the table of consonant phonemes bel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ivory
Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and Tooth, teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals is the same, regardless of the species of origin, but ivory contains structures of mineralised collagen. The trade in certain teeth and tusks other than elephant is well established and widespread; therefore, "ivory" can correctly be used to describe any mammalian teeth or tusks of commercial interest which are large enough to be carved or scrimshawed. Besides natural ivory, ivory can also be produced synthetically, hence (unlike natural ivory) not requiring the retrieval of the material from animals. Tagua nuts can also be carved like ivory. The trade of finished goods of ivory products has its origins in the Indus Valley. Ivory is a main product that is seen in abundance and was used for trading in Harappan civilization. Finished iv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pewter
Pewter () is a malleable metal alloy consisting of tin (85–99%), antimony (approximately 5–10%), copper (2%), bismuth, and sometimes silver. In the past, it was an alloy of tin and lead, but most modern pewter, in order to prevent lead poisoning, is not made with lead. Pewter has a low melting point, around , depending on the exact mixture of metals. The word ''pewter'' is possibly a variation of " spelter", a term for zinc alloys (originally a colloquial name for zinc). History Pewter was first used around the beginning of the Bronze Age in the Near East. The earliest known piece of pewter was found in an Egyptian tomb, , but it is unlikely that this was the first use of the material. Pewter was used for decorative metal items and tableware in ancient times by the Egyptians and later the Romans, and came into extensive use in Europe from the Middle Ages [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Girdle
A belt without a buckle, especially if a cord or rope, is called a girdle in various contexts, especially historical ones, where girdles were a very common part of everyday clothing from antiquity until perhaps the 15th century, especially for women. Most girdles were practical pieces of costume to hold other pieces in place, but some were loose and essentially for decoration. Among the elite these might include precious metals and jewels. Today, girdles are part of Christian liturgical vestments, and the word is used in other contexts, such as American sports (for what is really a kind of underwear). The girdle as an undergarment or abbreviated corset around the waist is a different, essentially 20th-century, concept, but from around 1895 there was a fashion for "girdles" as a separate section of a fashionable dress, worn just above the waist on top of the main dress. It was typically up to about eight inches high, and often terminated in a "V" shape. It might be the same c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cotton
Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor percentages of waxes, fats, pectins, and water. Under natural conditions, the cotton bolls will increase the dispersal of the seeds. The plant is a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, Africa, Egypt and India. The greatest diversity of wild cotton species is found in Mexico, followed by Australia and Africa. Cotton was independently domesticated in the Old and New Worlds. The fiber is most often spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable, and durable textile. The use of cotton for fabric is known to date to prehistoric times; fragments of cotton fabric dated to the fifth millennium BC have been found in the Indus Valley civilizat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bead
A bead is a small, decorative object that is formed in a variety of shapes and sizes of a material such as stone, bone, shell, glass, plastic, wood, or pearl and with a small hole for threading or stringing. Beads range in size from under 1 mm to over 1 cm in diameter. Beads represent some of the earliest forms of jewellery, with a pair of beads made from ''Nassarius'' sea snail shells dating to approximately years ago thought to be the earliest known example. 2] Beadwork is the art or craft of making things with beads. Beads can be woven together with specialized thread, strung onto thread or soft, flexible wire, or adhered to a surface (e.g. fabric, clay). Etymology The word "bead" derives from Old English ''gebed'', originally meaning "prayer", until transferred to small globular objects. This refers to the use of beads for counting repetitions of prayers, as in Christian Pater Noster cords and rosaries. Types Beads can be divided into several types of overlap ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tattoo
A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing processes and techniques, including hand-tapped traditional tattoos and modern tattoo machines. The history of tattooing goes back to Neolithic times, practiced across the globe by many cultures, and the symbolism and impact of tattoos varies in different places and cultures. Tattoos may be decorative (with no specific meaning), symbolic (with a specific meaning to the wearer), pictorial (a depiction of a specific person or item), or textual (words or pictographs from written languages). Many tattoos serve as rites of passage, marks of status and rank, symbols of religious and spiritual devotion, decorations for bravery, marks of fertility, pledges of love, amulets and talismans, protection, and as punishment, like the marks of outcasts, slaves, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Filing Teeth
Human tooth sharpening is the practice of manually sharpening the teeth, usually the front incisors. Filed teeth are customary in various cultures. Many remojadas figurines found in parts of Mexico have filed teeth and it is believed to have been common practice in their culture. The Zappo Zap people of the Democratic Republic of Congo are believed to have filed their teeth. Historically it was done for spiritual purposes, with some exceptions, but in modern times it is usually aesthetic in nature as a form of body modification. History Many cultures have practised this form of body modification. In Bali, in a ritual known as Potong gigi or cut teeth, teenagers have their canine teeth filed down because it is thought they represented negative emotions such as anger and jealousy. It is also seen as a way to spiritually separate them from their animalistic instincts and ancestors. After this tradition is completed the teens are now considered adults and are allowed to marry. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kaya (Mijikenda)
A ''kaya'' (plural ''makaya'' or ''kayas'') is a sacred site of the Mijikenda peoples, Mijikenda people in the former Coast Province of Kenya. Often located within Sacred grove, sacred forests, a ''kaya'' is considered to be an intrinsic source of ritual power and the origin of cultural identity; it is also a place of prayer for members of the Mijikenda ethnic group. The settlement, ritual centre, and fortified enclosure associated with the forest are also part of the ''kaya''. This ecozone is thought to be the only living example of what the ecosystem was like during the early settlement period of the Swahili coast, East African coast. In the present day, the ''kaya'' is also referred to as a traditional organizational unit of the Mijikenda. Eleven of the approximately 60 separate ''makaya'' have been grouped together and inscribed as the Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Geography More than 50 ''makaya'' have been identified within the Kwale County, Kw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mijikenda Peoples
Mijikenda ("the Nine Tribes") are a group of nine related Bantu ethnic groups inhabiting the coast of Kenya, between the Sabaki and the Umba rivers, in an area stretching from the border with Tanzania in the south to the border near Somalia in the north. Archaeologist Chapuruka Kusimba contends that the Mijikenda formerly resided in coastal cities, but later settled in Kenya's hinterlands to avoid submission to dominant Portuguese forces that were then in control. Historically, these Mijikenda ethnic groups have been called the Nyika or Nika by outsiders. It is a derogatory term meaning "bush people." The nine ethnic groups that make up the Mijikenda peoples are the Chonyi, Kambe, Duruma, Kauma, Ribe, Rabai, Jibana, Giriama, and Digo. The Digo are southern Mijikenda while the others are northern Mijikenda. The Digo are also found in Tanzania due to their proximity to the common border. Culture Each of the Mijikenda groups has a sacred forest, a ''kaya'', which is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Forest Conservation
Forest management is a branch of forestry concerned with overall administrative, legal, economic, and social aspects, as well as scientific and technical aspects, such as silviculture, forest protection, and forest regulation. This includes management for timber, aesthetics, recreation, urban values, water, wildlife, inland and nearshore fisheries, wood products, plant genetic resources, and other forest resource values. Management objectives can be for conservation, utilisation, or a mixture of the two. Techniques include timber extraction, planting and replanting of different species, building and maintenance of roads and pathways through forests, and preventing fire. Many tools like remote sensing, GIS and photogrammetry modelling have been developed to improve forest inventory and management planning. Scientific research plays a crucial role in helping forest management. For example, climate modeling, biodiversity research, carbon sequestration research, GIS applications ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
