The knowledge and practices of iron-smiting and its modes of transmission in Libo-Kamkam Woreda: Northwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

This anthropological study examines the knowledge and practices among blacksmiths in Libo-Kamkam, Ethiopia. Indigenous Knowledge Theory is used as a lens to frame the concepts and themes of the study. The objectives of the study are to explore the knowledge transfer, sustainability, and implications of indigenous knowledge system within blacksmithing in the study area. Through comprehensive ethnographic fieldwork that includes interviews, FGDs, and participant observation, the findings reveal how forging, resource recycling, and precise temperature control are examples of indigenous knowledge that are passed down through community collaboration and familial learning. These practices enable blacksmiths to produce essential farming implements adapted to local ecology. The study also indicates how the blacksmiths manage the coexistence of ancestral pride and social stigma. The findings also highlight major threats to its survival, such as stigma, limited institutional support, and shortage of raw materials. In order to maintain blacksmithing as a rural livelihood and cultural legacy, the study recommends institutional support, and promoting indigenous knowledge in the cultural policy of the country.