Fractals are complex geometric shapes with fractional dimensional properties. They have emerged as swirling patterns within the frontiers of mathematics, information technology, and computer graphics. Over the last 30 years, these patterns have also become important modeling tools in other fields, including biology, geology, and other natural sciences. However, fractals have existed far beyond the birth of computers, and have been observed by anthropologists in indigenous African societies. One of which is Ron Eglash; an American scientist who presents the evidence of fractals in the architecture, art, textile sculpture, and religion of indigenous African societies. In his book, “African Fractals: Modern Computing and indigenous design”, the fractals in African societies are not simply accidental or intuitive but are design themes that evolve from cultural practices and societal structures.
Although Africa is a continent with a great diversity of cultures, examples of fractal architecture and urban patterns can be found in many indigenous societies. These forms of urban and spatial patterns can be identified by basic characteristics, including recursion, scaling, self-similarity, infinity, and fractal dimension. They form the basis of the continuous looping character of these patterns across different scales that can project to infinity. While the terms used to describe fractal character often lie in mathematics and semiotics from nature, the urban patterns in African indigenous societies, which are a precursor to these terminologies, are drawn from cultural practices and societal norms.
