{"id":670,"date":"2019-08-12T09:35:42","date_gmt":"2019-08-12T07:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dainst.blog\/entangled-africa\/?p=670"},"modified":"2021-04-01T11:24:53","modified_gmt":"2021-04-01T09:24:53","slug":"report_2019_01","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dainst.blog\/entangled-africa\/en\/report_2019_01\/","title":{"rendered":"Status report „Routes of Interaction“"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Status report „Routes of Interaction“<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As part of the project \u201cRoutes of Interaction: Interregional contacts between the Northern Horn of Africa and the Nile region\u201d first fieldwork was begun in the winter of 2018\/2019. An archaeological survey of the Rama valley yielded promising results regarding settlement patterns in the Ethiopian-Eritrean border region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mareb (Sudanese:\nGash), the border river between Eritrea and Ethiopia, has a tributary a few\nkilometres north of the Tigrayan city of Rama. This tributary is called Midamar\nand is located approximately in the middle of a sprawling valley, which is c.\n3.5 km wide and c. 12 km long. In the south, the valley splits into two,\nleading to Yeha in the southeast and to Aksum in the southwest. The valley is\ntherefore located at a strategic position for trade between the Sudanese\nlowlands and the Ethiopian highlands. The elevation of the Rama\nvalley floor ranges from 1350 to 1400 metres above sea level. A few small streams supply\nwater to the plain all year round and allow intensive farming in some parts of\nthe valley. The autumn 2018 survey focused on the southern half of the valley. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A\nrock formation of rounded granite boulders, referred to by the local population\nas „Wentah“ (Fig.1),\nis a distinctive landmark. Ceramics discovered on the surface of the Wentah\ndisplay finely incised and impressed decoration. Three small cattle figurines\nwere also found and relate to the cultures in the Nile valley. Sherds of this\ndiagnostic ceramic style were discovered at five other findspots during the\nsurvey, notably at one settlement site on a plateau halfway up a hill near the\ncity of Rama (Fig. 2).\nHere, pottery types were recorded that resemble a type which is widespread in\nthe Sudan during the late 2nd and the middle of the 1st millennium BC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More recent periods were identified by an early Aksumite cemetery, an extensive Aksumite settlement, and a late-Aksumite \/ early modern age fortification with an adjacent, stone-built settlement. The results of this first ground survey as well as the density of the finds probably reflect the greater geostrategic significance of the valley. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By exploring (trade) routes and\nusing satellite imagery as well as the results of least-cost path analysis, the\ngeoarchaeological survey in the Yeha region explored modern and ancient routes.\nTaking into account historical maps, modern topography and interviews with the\nlocal population, four routes were the initial focus of interest. Survey\nactivities were concentrated on the routes from Yeha to the north and\nespecially on the routes between Yeha and Rama. On some routes hollow-ways have\nbeen formed (Fig. 3);\nconsiderable gully erosion suggests a long period of use. These sunken lanes\nwere examined with regard to their geographical characteristics and the\narchaeological finds. Our fieldwork served as preparation for further\ninvestigations regarding the questions of where the historic trade routes ran\nand which topographical criteria can be used to test the theoretical least-cost\npath model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nour field season autumn 2019, we plan to continue exploring trade routes\nbetween Yeha and Rama and to dig accompanying sondages in the plateau\nsettlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n