The Expansion of the Aksumite Zone in the South of Tigray, an Unexplored Cultural Landscape

在埃塞俄比亚提格雷省南部发现的一处独特的建筑废墟有望阐明阿克苏米特文化区(约公元650-900年)被忽视的晚期历史。但除了少数奇特的例外，东北非的考古学及其中世纪早期都不被西方学者视为有价值的目标。关于埃塞俄比亚中世纪早期，没有一本书存在。我们的项目培养了梅凯尔大学和欧洲大学考古学和历史学科的参与学生和教职员工。加强区域旅游基础设施建设。与其他任何研究项目不同的是，我们的研究项目将这些机构的人才凝聚在一起。它联合了现有的研究小组，这些小组经过精心培养，很容易解散。这是世界上特别危险的地区，几乎没有称职的专家在那里工作，比如在埃塞俄比亚。方法挖掘和调查相结合产生了必要的数据获取，以便按时间顺序确定Mifsas Ahri考古遗址的背景。由放射性碳、陶器和艺术史组成的研究网络阐明了我们研究对象的年代和身份。人类学田野调查与之相辅相成。许多稀有的建筑雕塑是年代信息的主要来源。对米夫萨斯巴赫里的石头建筑进行彻底研究是将其开发为游客纪念碑的先决条件。对人类骨骼的研究与动植物的研究相结合，以重建中世纪的环境及其经济。研究视角我们在学科、地理中心和主要时期之间的“利基研究”揭示了自己是历史科学的重要来源。忽视某些历史时期，如阿克苏米特晚期，与其说是严格的历史方法，不如说是我们潜在的欧洲中心论：乍一看，东北非与我们自己的历史联系更少，而是我们在圣经中熟悉的近东中心。该项目的意外优势深入研究考古遗址的机会很容易产生意想不到的意外结果。例如，我们的项目打开了亚的斯亚贝巴国家博物馆的大门。就扎法尔/也门(邻近的希米亚尔人首都)的研究项目而言，保存我们的文件不仅是一项责任，而且也是以吸引人的质量提供我们的成果的绝佳机会。数字图像库，如海德堡大学图书馆的HeidICON项目，对非洲、亚洲和欧洲的感兴趣的个人和机构来说是一种恩惠。

IntroductionThe discovery of a unique building ruin in the southern part of Ethiopia's Tigray Province promises to illuminate the neglected late history of the Aksumite cultural zone (c. 650-900 CE). But for a few exotic exceptions neither the archaeology of North-eastern Africa nor its early medieval period have been considered worthy goals for Western scholars. Regarding Ethiopia's early medieval period not a single book exists. Our project develops participating students and faculty in the disciplines of archaeology and history of the Mekelle and European universities. Later it shall strengthen the regional touristic infrastructure. Like no other research project has or can, ours' unites the talent of these institutions. It unites existing study groups which have been cultivated with care and which easily can dissolve. This is particularly dangerous world regions where very few competent experts work, as in Ethiopia.MethodsExcavation and survey combined yield the data acquisition necessary in order to chronologically contextualise the archaeological site of Mifsas Bahri. A web of studies comprised of radiocarbon, pottery and art history illuminate the chronology and identity of our study object. Anthropological fieldwork complements them. Numerous rare architectural sculptures are a main source of dating information. A thorough study of the stone building in Mifsas Bahri is prerequisite for its being developed as a monument for visitors. The study of human skeletons combines with those of the flora and fauna in order to reconstruct the medieval environment and its economy.Research perspectivesOur 'niche-research' between disciplines, geographic centres and main periods reveals itself as important source for historical science. The neglect of certain historic periods such as the Aksumite Late Period has less to do with stringent historic method and more with our latent Eurocentrism: At first sight North-east Africa has less relation with our own history than centres in the Near East, familiar to us from the Bible.Unforeseen Advantages of the ProjectThe opportunity to intensive study an archaeological site can readily yield unexpected windfall results. Our project opens for example the doors of the go down of the National Museum in Addis Ababa. As in the case of the research project in Zafar/Yemen (neighbouring Himyarite capital) the preservation of our documentation is not only a duty but is also an excellent opportunity to make our results available in an attractive quality. Digital image banks such as the HeidICON project of Heidelberg's University Library are a boon for interested persons and institutions in Africa, Asia and Europe.