First, we stopped in town to pay our entrance fee to the village (1,700 ETB) and hire a local guide (1,000 ETB). Then, we slowly drove to the village, where we usually paid 20 to 100 ETB for a photo of adults, and the children received a lollipop.
The Konso are a Cushitic-speaking ethnic group in south-central Ethiopia, known for their unique cultural practices, intricate terraced agriculture, and fortified hilltop villages. Their landscape was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2010 for its outstanding cultural and engineering achievements in transforming an arid, rocky area into fertile farmland through extensive stone terracing. Key aspects of Konso culture include elaborate social structures based on a nine-clan system, unique funerary traditions with anthropomorphic wooden sculptures, and a strong sense of community that prioritises collective effort and defence.
The population is around 350,000 and is concentrated in a homeland of less than 1,000 square kilometres. While many Konso have converted to Christianity, traditional animistic beliefs are still practised, with some men holding multiple wives in non-Christian households. The Konso society is structured around nine patrilineal and exogamous clans, each with a leader titled pokwalla.
They have distinctive funerary rites that include the erection of wooden statues called Waga or Waka. These statues represent the deceased and are surrounded by figures of their wives, defeated enemies, and killed animals. Some Konso mummify their deceased kings for a period of nine years, nine months, and nine days before interment.
