Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: The Ethnoarchaeology of Northeastern Ethiopia

在Fiona马歇尔博士的指导下，Helina Solomon-Woldekiros将对埃塞俄比亚北方的阿法尔盐商队路线进行民族考古学研究。盐、黑曜石、铁、黄金和外来动物产品的远距离贸易和交换促进了许多古代非洲社会独特的政治和社会经济制度的发展。Woldekiros女士将收集有关路线，旅行费用和当今大篷车的物质痕迹的信息，以确定阿法尔小径的古代使用。考古调查和挖掘将检验这样一种假设，即早在阿克苏姆特（公元前150年至公元700年）时期，就有从阿法尔低地到北埃塞俄比亚高原的地方或区域商品交换。这项研究将绘制阿法尔盐路，并允许计算古代运输成本和估计史前阿克苏姆王国贸易路线上不断变化的商品价值。它还将为今后研究高地和低地社区之间的当地相互作用以及阿克苏姆地区经济的复杂性提供基础。该项目将为安第斯山脉和亚洲等世界其他地区的商队贸易的民族考古学研究确立一个比较视角。Solomon-Woldekiros女士将收集三个数据集，以解决该项目的主要目标：地理信息系统（GIS）位置信息，民族考古数据，以及对路线三个样本部分进行调查和挖掘的考古数据。 该项目将产生更广泛的影响，为对非洲和其他地方商队组织的物质遗迹感兴趣的考古学家提供有用的跨文化比较材料。阿法尔盐贸易的文献也将有助于记录埃塞俄比亚北方丰富的文化遗产。在世界许多地方，以驮畜为基础的大篷车正在被卡车和现代道路所取代。该项目可能有助于保护提格雷和阿法尔文化遗产的这一方面。还将与当地提格雷人和居住在提格雷东部地区阿迪格拉特的其他族裔群体协调，举办一个侧重于该地区考古文化历史和文化遗产管理的讲习班。与默克莱和阿迪斯人类学系的合作将侧重于为考古学本科生和硕士生举办民族考古学和动物考古学分析方法方面的讲座和讲习班。培训学生也将有助于国际信息交流和制定新的研究举措，审查东非和非洲之角交换系统的历史。

Under the direction of Dr. Fiona Marshall, Helina Solomon-Woldekiros will conduct ethnoarchaeological research on the Afar salt caravan route in Northern Ethiopia. Long distance trade and exchange in salt, obsidian, iron, gold and exotic animal products have contributed to the development of distinctive political and socio-economic institutions of many ancient African societies. Ms Woldekiros will collect information on the route, costs of travel, and material traces of present day caravans to identify ancient use of the Afar trail. Archaeological survey and excavation will test the hypothesis that there was local or regional exchange in commodities from the Afar lowlands to the North Ethiopian plateau dating to as early as Aksumite (150 C.E-C.E 700) period. This research will map the Afar Salt Route and allow calculation of ancient transport costs and estimations of changing commodity values on prehistoric Aksumite kingdom trade routes. It will also provide the basis for future studies of local interactions between highland and lowland communities and the complexity of Aksumite regional economies.. The project will establish a comparative perspective for ethnoarchaeological studies of caravan trade in other regions of the world such as the Andes and Asia. Ms Solomon-Woldekiros will collect three data sets to address the main goals of the project: GIS (Geographic Information System) locational information, ethnoarchaeological data, and archaeological data from survey and excavations on three sample sections of the route. This project will have a broader impact by providing useful cross-cultural comparative material for archaeologists interested in the material remains of caravan organization in Africa and elsewhere. Documentation of the Afar salt trade will also contribute to recording of the rich cultural heritage of Northern Ethiopia. In many parts of the world, pack animal based caravans are being replaced by trucks and modern roads. This project may help to preserve this one aspect of Tigray and Afar cultural heritage. A workshop focused on the archaeological culture-history of the region and in cultural heritage management will also be coordinated with local Tigray and other ethnic groups who live in Adigrat, eastern Tigray region. Cooperation with the Departments of Anthropology in Mekelle and Addis Ababa, will focus on giving lectures and workshops for Archaeology undergraduate and master's students in ethnoarcheological and zooarchaeological analytical methods. Training students will likewise contribute to international exchange of information and the development of new research initiatives examining the histories of exchange systems in East Africa and the Horn.