Archaeological site in Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Archaeological site in Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Beta Samati (or Betä Sämaʿti , meaning 'house of audience' in Tigrinya ) is an archaeological site near Yeha , Tigray Region , northern Ethiopia . It was an Aksumite settlement that was occupied from around 750 BC until the 7th century AD.[ 1]
Discovery
In 2009, the Southern Red Sea Archaeological Histories (SRSAH) Project, which also surveyed over 80 different archaeological sites from 2009 to 2016,[ 2] discovered the site of the town ruins under a mound adjacent to the village of Edaga Rabu (Tigrinya : ዕዳጋ ሮቡዕ ), located 6.5 km northeast of Yeha , Ethiopia.[ 3]
Excavations
In 2015, excavations of the site were funded by the Archaeological Institute of America . In 2016, the National Geographic Society funded excavations at the Beta Samati site.[ 4]
Discoveries at the archaeological site included a basilica dating to the 4th century AD, gold intaglio ring engraved with a bull's head, stone pendant , bucranium , stamp seal , incense burners , cow figurines, and coins depicting Kings Armah and Ezana .[ 5] The basilica may the earliest known Christian building in sub-Saharan Africa.
References
^ Hunt, Katie (2019-12-11). "Archeologists unearth lost town from little-known ancient East African empire" . CNN . Retrieved 2024-02-02 .
^ Harrower, Michael J.; Nathan, Smiti; Mazzariello, Joseph C.; Zerue, Kifle; Dumitru, Ioana A.; Meresa, Yemane; Bongers, Jacob L.; Gebreegziabher, Gidey; Zaitchik, Benjamin F.; Anderson, Martha C. (2020). "Water, Geography, and Aksumite Civilization: The Southern Red Sea Archaeological Histories (SRSAH) Project Survey (2009–2016)". African Archaeological Review . 37 (1): 51–67. doi :10.1007/s10437-020-09369-8 . ISSN 0263-0338 .
^ Harrower, Michael J.; Dumitru, Ioana A.; Perlingieri, Cinzia; Nathan, Smiti; Zerue, Kifle; Lamont, Jessica L.; Bausi, Alessandro; Swerida, Jennifer L.; Bongers, Jacob L.; Woldekiros, Helina S.; Poolman, Laurel A.; Pohl, Christie M.; Brandt, Steven A.; Peterson, Elizabeth A. (2019). "Beta Samati: discovery and excavation of an Aksumite town" . Antiquity . 93 (372): 1534–1552. doi :10.15184/aqy.2019.84 . ISSN 0003-598X .
^ "Ethiopia" . SOLAR . 2020-01-10. Retrieved 2024-02-02 .
^ Brown, Marley. "Early Adopters" . Archaeology Magazine . Retrieved 2024-02-02 .