Aksum's regional trade: new evidence from archaeological survey

Abstract

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.

Geomorphology of the Archaeological Area of Aksum

“…Bard et al 2000;Sernicola 2008), archaeological evidence suggests that the northern slope of Bet Giyorgis has been uninterruptedly cultivated since the Early Aksumite time (40 BC-150 AD) (Table 7.1). The urban and rural populations reached their maximum during the Classic Aksumite period (150-350 AD), implying an expansion of land used for agricultural purposes (Sernicola 2008;Sulas et al 2009;Sernicola and Phillipson 2011). Since at several sites, artefacts dating back to the different periods are found in place, it is reasonable to postulate that these locations have been continuously cropped at least since the Early Aksumite period.…”

From Centre-Periphery Models to Textured Urban Landscapes: Comparative Perspectives from Sub-Saharan Africa

“…Long a focus of archaeological investigations and systematic surveys (Bard 1997;Fattovich 2008;Fattovich and others 2000;French, Sulas, and Madella 2009;Michels 2005;Monneret de Villard 1938;Munro-Hay 1989;1991;Phillipson 1997;Sernicola 2017;Sernicola and Phillipson 2011), the settlement record at Aksum is significant and almost unparalleled in the wider region. Recent syntheses and spatial analyses provide a comprehensive record of the settlement pattern at Aksum before, during, and after the decline of the eponymous kingdom (Fattovich 2019;Sernicola 2017).…”

The genetic and linguistic structures of Abyssinians and their neighbor reveal the historical demographic dynamics and environmental adaptation in the African Horn region

“…The old Christian scripts circuitously described the diversity of the Abyssinian inhabitants; while Jeremiah 13:23 mentions the unique color of Ethiopians, Ezkiel30:5 lists Ethiopians among the mingled races. Abyssinia was a trade hub (Krzemnicki et al 2019; Sernicola and Phillipson 2011) and destination of people of different origins (Phillipson 1993). This has formed the noticeably observed mosaic appearances of the people and religio-cultural diversity.…”