b 11 Brooklyn, Threshfield, North Yorkshire BD23 5ER, United KingdomOutstanding questions about ancient Aksum (Tigray, Ethiopia), which emerged as the capital city of a powerful kingdom between the first/second and seventh/ eighth centuries AD, include the reasons for its particular location in the highlands of northern Ethiopia. Its situation at the hub of a radiating network of river valleys along which developed a complex system of communication and exchange routes linking the area with the surrounding regions was probably most significant. Analysis of recent discoveries from archaeological surveys provides an assessment of the short-and medium-range exchange circuits in which the Aksum area was involved. New evidence of the intra-regional circulation of chert precores is presented, directly illustrating an aspect of the distribution of relatively low value materials within Aksum's wider economy.Les questions non encore résolues au sujet d'Aksum ancien (Tigray, Ethiopie), qui émergea comme la capitale d'un puissant royaume entre les premier/deuxième et septième/huitième siècles ap. J.C., incluent les raisons de sa localisation particulière dans les hauteurs du nord de l'Ethiopie. Le facteur le plus significatif était probablement sa situation au centre d'un réseau rayonnant de vallées, le long desquelles se développa un système complexe d'itinéraires de communication et d'échange qui liait la zone avec les régions environnantes. L'analyse des découvertes récentes issues de reconnaissances archéologiques fournit une évaluation des circuits d'échange à courte et moyenne distance dans lesquels la zone d'Aksum était impliquée. De nouveaux témoignages de la circulation intrarégionale de pré-noyaux de silex sont présentés, illustrant directement un aspect de la distribution de matériaux de valeur relativement basse dans l'économie plus large d'Aksum.

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This geophysical study is part of a multidisciplinary archaeological research project designed to provide the framework for the reconstruction of the cultural and environmental history of the region to the southwest of Aksum and for the production of a detailed archaeological map for the cultural heritage management of central Tigray. Seglamen, near Aksum in north Ethiopia, an area of about 70 000 m2, is dated from the early to mid‐first millennium bce and has been detected and excavated since 2010 by the Italian Archaeological Expedition of the University of Naples “L'Orientale”. An objective of this study was to develop a geophysical model that defines the archaeological context of a multilayered archaeological site. In doing so, it was also aimed at guiding future excavations operated by archaeologists on the site, thereby assess the geophysical techniques that work well in this area and make recommendations to several archaeological research projects that have been operating at and around Aksum, with similar archaeological context. Magnetic and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) techniques were employed. The magnetic reconnaissance survey carried out at 2 m station spacing and 5 m line spacing covering the area and has outlined for further detailed investigation localized anomalies for the ERT. Detailed ERT survey was conducted on a rectangular grid of 21.75 × 44.25 m2 with 0.75 m unit electrode spacing and 0.75 m line spacing. It has yielded two‐dimensional (2D) and three‐dimensional (3D) electrical resistivity sections of the surveyed area. From combined interpretation of the magnetic and electrical imaging survey data, it was possible to delineate localized anomalous zones that could be associated with the existence of subsurface features of archeological interest. Interpreted stone‐based walls were validated through test excavations that revealed well preserved and collapsed walls. These cultural structures are sometimes located at depths of about 20 cm so there is a high possibility of destruction by farming activities of local farmers; ultimately, we would urge conservation work in this area.

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