Your research focuses on uncovering the daily lives of West African people, particularly merchant families and their non-elite relatives, through archaeological studies in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Can you tell us more about this work? 

Omigbule: I am exploring the lived experiences of people in Bonny Island (Bonny) and Old Calabar, both in southern Nigeria, as they responded to and participated in the slave and palm oil trades. In my research, I use evidence from oral history, archival documents, architectural history, and archaeology to document social, cultural, and economic transformations in these settlements from the 17th-19th centuries CE. I believe the results of this study will contribute to our understanding of the unique cultural character(s) of these communities and the Niger Delta region. In the summers of 2023 and 2024, I conducted preliminary oral historical and archaeological research in Bonny and Old Calabar. My preliminary studies yielded several African and European artifacts that can help us understand what life was like in these two coastal settlements as the region was integrated into the modern world economy (c.1600 CE-present). I hope to conduct a year-long study in these places, starting in Fall 2025. This intensive study will form the basis for my dissertation write-up.

How did you first become interested in archaeology? 

Omigbule: Childhood experiences in my hometown, Ile-Ife, in southwest Nigeria, were formative in my interest in archaeology. Growing up with my late grandmother, I often listened to her stories about the history of the Yorùbá people. While history was (and still is largely) not taught in Nigeria’s elementary to high school levels, I was fortunate that one of my maternal uncles, Professor Adisa Ogunfolakan, is an archaeologist. As a high school student, my interest in history made me volunteer for an archaeological project he was co-directing in Ile-Ife. Fascinated by the unique ways archaeologists examined deep time histories and lifeways, I enrolled for an undergraduate degree in archaeology at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. At Ibadan, I continued honing my field research and anthropological theory skills in class and field settings. These experiences solidified my childhood interest in African history into what it is now, almost a decade later.

What drew you to this specific area of research? 

Omigbule: It was the result of the convergence of several interrelated things, but I will point to one defining moment. I became invested in Black (African) Atlantic archaeology after participating in the Badagry coast archaeological project directed by a colleague (Abiola Ibirogba) in the summer of 2022. As a fresh archaeology graduate from Ibadan, this project exposed me to the underrepresentation of coastal archaeology in present-day Nigeria and the importance of community-oriented archaeology in these places.

As an international student from Nigeria, can you share your journey to UVA and what inspired you to pursue your studies here? 

Omigbule: As I wrapped up my undergraduate degree, I had settled that I wanted to continue doing research. In my senior year, I contacted different Africanist archaeologists in anthropology departments across the US and the UK. As I made headway in the application process, the regional and thematic overlaps I found in the UVA anthropology program were promising for my intellectual and professional goals. Through the application process, Professors Adria LaViolette (now my committee chair) and Sonia Alconini (a committee member) supported me in several ways. They also networked me with other graduate students in the department. This intentionality further encouraged me about my prospects at UVA. Since I started my graduate program here, the community support I have received from faculty and my peers and the connections I have made across departments have been invaluable to my progress.

What are your next steps in your research or academic career? What do you hope to accomplish after completing your PhD? 

Omigbule: Following my PhD, I intend to continue teaching, researching in the Niger Delta, and contributing to global archaeological thought. On a practical level, I will continue working closely with community members where I currently do research. I hope these collaborations will provide platforms to teach and train willing youths in the rudiments and importance of archaeology and history in a region where it has been largely absent. I currently collaborate with two community-based initiatives in the Niger Delta region (Bonny Atlas and the Kid’s Resource Center, Bonny Island). Through these collaborations, I hope to foster local critical engagement with history and transform my research results into public-friendly learning resources such as museum/art exhibitions and comics.

What advice would you give to students who are interested in pursuing international research? 

Omigbule: As a Yorùbá person, I find so much wisdom in Òwe (proverbs). My advice draws from one that says, “àì rìn jìnà la ò bá wọn r'ábuké ọ̀kẹ́rẹ́; afọ́jú ẹyẹ ń bẹ lóko kárin kése,” which means “not traveling far enough is why one may not have seen a hunchbacked squirrel; several blind birds live happily in the deep forest.” The wisdom of this proverb is that lack of exposure impedes the development of the mind. Thus, it is essential to broaden one’s horizon constantly with open-mindedness. While I grew up in southwest Nigeria, research experiences in other parts of the country and the West African region have significantly shaped my cultural competence skills and approaches to engaging the world. Although these experiences are fulfilling in hindsight, it would be dishonest to say that interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds is intuitive—here is where open-mindedness comes in.