Le nord du Tigray (Ethiopie) est caracterise par de vastes plateaux en bordure desquels se trouvent des vallees encaissees aux versants abrupts. Les fonds de ces vallees sont aujourd’hui densement mis en culture a l’aide de terrasses, ouvrages de conservation des eaux et des sols. Dans ce contexte montagnard, des vestiges archeologiques d’epoque axoumite (Ier millenaire av. n. e. - Ier millenaire de n. e.) ont ete decouverts sur le site de Wakarida. Localisee sur un eperon, cette petite installation urbaine a souleve la question des relations entre milieu, amenagements hydroagricoles et societes. Aujourd’hui, les vallons alentours sont combles par des accumulations sedimentaires epaisses de plusieurs metres, cultivees en gradin au moyen de terrasses. Ces amenagements sont-ils le fruit de la transmission pluriseculaire d’un paysage qu’on pourrait appeler « fossile » ? Le resultat de la sedimentation dirigee entreprise de longue date par les Axoumites et leurs descendants ? La proximite des amenagements et des vestiges archeologiques pourrait le laisser penser, d’autant que la culture axoumite presente des similitudes avec celle des Sud-Arabiques, connus pour leur talent dans la construction d’ouvrages hydrauliques.
Pour repondre a ces interrogations, une methodologie systemique est appliquee. Elle emprunte des techniques a la geomorphologie, la geoarcheologie et la sedimentologie, a l’histoire du paysage et la geohistoire, et developpe des approches ethnoarcheologique et ethnogeomorphologique.
Dans un premier temps, l’etude d’accumulations sedimentaires dans les vallees de la region permet de mettre en evidence les principales phases de mise en place des comblements et les differents facteurs de controle du detritisme, qu’il s’agisse de processus biophysiques (changement climatique, couvert vegetal) ou d’actions anthropiques (deboisement, agriculture). Les sediments s’accumulent a partir du VIIe millenaire av. n. e., sous un climat plus humide aux precipitations plus regulieres que de nos jours (African Humid Period). A partir du IVe millenaire av. n. e., les equilibres changent, entrainant l’alternance de flux hydrosedimentaires de faible et de grande energie. Enfin, a partir du Ier millenaire av. n. e., l’influence des societes humaines devient plus sensible dans les depots qui temoignent d’un deboisement avance a partir du XIIIe siecle de n. e. Aucun vestige d’amenagement agricole n’a ete detecte dans les comblements, qui ne resultent pas d’une sedimentation dirigee.
A partir du XVIIe siecle de n. e., les enregistrements chronostratigraphiques manquent. Des archives textuelles et iconographiques sont mobilisees pour comprendre l’evolution des couverts vegetaux et preciser la periode d’apparition des terrasses. Elles eclairent sur la position de Wakarida, en marge du royaume d’Axoum, des royaumes ethiopiens suivants et des routes d’exploration. Cette situation a permis la persistance sur le temps long de techniques culturales dont certaines remontent a la prehistoire. Seule exception notable, les terrasses sont absentes de ces temoignages. D’apres les archives, elles n’apparaissent pas avant les annees 1960 dans le Tigray.
Le croisement des entretiens et des archives apporte des precisions a l’echelle du site etudie. Les alentours de Wakarida ont ete repeuples recemment et les amenagements actuels ont ete eriges a partir des annees 1990, en lien avec des reformes agraires et des evenements socio-politiques. Les terrasses de Wakarida temoignent de relations etroites entre processus economiques, sociaux, politiques et biophysiques. Leur avenir est aujourd’hui menace par l’erosion regressive qui touche les vallons et par l’exode rural qui risque de rompre l’equilibre fragile entre pente, amenagements, cultures et societes.
Les ouvrages actuels, de construction recente, reposent donc sur des comblements anciens qui continuent a evoluer. Ainsi, les paysages hydroagricoles de la region de Wakarida ne sont pas fossiles mais palimpsestes.

Dynamiques sédimentaires holocènes et terrasses agricoles dans les montagnes du Tigray oriental (Éthiopie)

Aksum is the capital of ancient Aksumite Kingdom and one of the most important archaeological site in Ethiopia. It has been registered on World Heritage List in 1980. Its archaeological and cultural heritage continues to be a victim of urbanization, development, erosion and deposition. Despite increased awareness and issues within the field of archaeology, the destruction of archaeological and cultural heritage sites of Aksum has been staggering. Although considered as an outstanding universal heritage site, very little focused cultural heritage management has been undertaken in Aksum. All archaeological excavations conducted thus far in Aksum focused on unearthing elite tombs and palaces. Both acts of destruction are relevant to current research on the cultural heritage management aspect in Aksum in general. This research provides an analysis of the destruction of the archaeological and heritage sites and monuments in Aksum based on ancient documents, archaeological excavations and field observation. It examines the extent the sites have been excavated, documented and preserved. Three sites have been selected for case study for the present research. The research revealed that the archaeological and heritage sites in Aksum have been deeply affected by urbanization in general. Evidently, the absence of integrated development planning by the municipality, lack of professionals in the field of archaeology and lack of public education have contributed significantly to the loss of the archaeological record. This thesis attempts to evaluate the current state of documentation and preservation of the cultural heritage resource in Aksum.

Aksoum (Ethiopia) : an inquiry into the state of documentation and preservation of the archaeological and heritage sites and monuments

Compared to other world regions, the employment of archaeological geophysics in Sub-Saharan Africa has been particularly modest. By reviewing the few published case studies from the last fifty year...

Contributions of archaeological geophysics to field research in Sub-Saharan Africa: past, present, future

Inscriptions Pre-Aksumites de Maqabər Ga‘ǝwa ; (Tigre, Ethiopie) ; Cet article presente des resultats epigraphiques preliminaires obtenus lors de fouilles preventives sur le site de Maqabər Ga‘əwa, situe dans la partie orientale de la region du Tigre, a 7 km de la ville de Wuqro, en 2007. Les inscriptions et les objets proviennent d’un temple d’Almaqah, le dieu principal du royaume de Saba ʾ en Arabie du Sud, venere egalement dans l’ancienne Ethiopie. L’auteur de l’une des inscriptions est le roi W ʿ rn fils de Rd ʾ m dont le regne n’etait pas atteste jusqu’ici. D’apres les inscriptions en alphabet sudarabique, les objets inscrits pourraient etre dates vers le VIIe ou VIe siecle avant l’ere chretienne.

Pre-Aksumite Inscriptions from Mäqabǝr Ga‘ǝwa (Tigrai, Ethiopia)

Un Brule-Parfum Pre-Aksumite Inscrit et des ornements architecturaux provenant d’Addi Akaweh (Tigre, Ethiopie) ; L’eglise d’Enda Abba Garima a Addi Akaweh abrite trois brule-parfums en pierre portant des inscriptions pre-aksumites, RIE 9 et RIE 10, editees par R. Schneider, et une troisieme inscription, Addi Akaweh 1, publiee dans cet article. Le texte de l’inscription est identique a l’inscription RIE 9 et permet d’en completer la lecture. Trois ornements architecturaux en calcaire ont ete recueillis dans la campagne environnante. Deux blocs de pierre ont ete remployes dans la construction de la partie sud-ouest de l’eglise. Ils seront decrits ici.

A Pre-Aksumite Inscribed Incense Burner and Some Architectural Ornaments from Addi Akaweh (Tigrai, Ethiopia)

Even if South Arabian influence is obvious in economy, trade, and social structures in both "pre-Aksumite" and Aksumite civilization, the history of Ethiopia is still misunderstood. Therefore, the archaeological investigations on the site of Wakarida (Tigrai region / Ethiopia) have two major aims: 1/ a contribution to the periodization of the Antiquity in Ethiopia - since no chronological classification of any artefact has been yet established for Ancient Ethiopia; 2/ a study of the evolution of Ancient Ethiopian civilisation and its contacts with other countries, from the Mediterranean Sea to India. The choice of this site is due on one hand to its geographic situation (even if distant of the main axes of circulation already known, it is turned towards the Red Sea), on the other hand to an important chronological sequence that may be obtained according to the already collected pottery on surface. A comparative study has to be carried out especially on potteries coming from various sites, but also on different types of construction, and artefacts. Before any extensive excavation, the archaeological potential of the site as well as its area and its organization had to be assessed as a priority. Specific fieldwork objectives were to implement a sampling design which employed geomantic techniques including GPS (Global Positioning System) and GIS (Geographic Information System) to initiate a more systematic survey which employed specific techniques including geophysical methods. Three test excavations consisting on soundings have been opened, and a few pedestrian surveys have been carried out around the site, in order to recognize the real expansion of the archaeological area, and even other settlements nearby.

https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00662850/document

Report on fieldwork - First investigation on the site of Wakarida (March 21st - April 2nd 2011)

The third season for the “Archaeological and Epigraphic Investigations in Tigrai Region (Pre-Aksumite & Askumite Period)” took place from November 4th to December 7th, 2013 in Saʿesiʿe Tsʿada Emba woreda, north-eastern Tigrai. It is part of a four year research programme, headed by Dr Iwona Gajda and Dr Fabienne Dugast from the CNRS (Umr 8167 “Orient & Mediterranee” / Paris), and supported by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEE), the French Centre for Ethiopian Studies (CFEE / Addis Ababa), and the Bureau of Culture and Tourism of the Regional State of Tigrai (BCTRST / Wukro).
It comes as a result of a preliminary survey which took place in March 2010, and helped making the choice of the site of Wakarida, in the tabia / district of Sawena, and Saʿesiʿe Tsʿada Emba woreda / region, eastern Tigrai, to start systematic archaeological investigations which begun in March 2011. 
The site is concerned with three main objectives, as far as its remains are related to: first of all, its remote location, while open in the direction of the Red Sea, may help in considering the relations, whatever they were, between North Ethiopia and South Arabia in the early 1st millennium AD; on the other hand, and according to the chronological sequences, it may give us sufficient elements to make out chronological markers – especially in pottery typology – which are still lacking; finally, as the local landscape looks like a “fossil” one principally subjected to erosion, but ever contrasted during time by men through a patient work of slope and floor valley terracing, it may help us in considering different kind of occupation and settlement all over May Ayni valley and three other ones – Ka ebile, May Weyni and Ambare –, which join up at Demba Bales and Sawena. These three main objectives have therefore a common course: the organisation and evolution of settlement patterns, in both political and cultural aspects, from the time before the emergence of Aksum and after.

https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-01146180/document

Report on Fieldwork. Investigation on the Site of Wakarida (Saʿesiʿe Tsʿada Emba Woreda / Tigrai), November 7th-December 6th 2013 (3rd season)

Since the 1970's, Aksum stands in area under discussion since the development of culture in the Ethiopian highlands appears to be, even now, the subject of much debate. What role did it play, when did it emerge to prominence, and what were its relations with pre-existing societies and cultures? And above all, to what extent was Aksum a conduit for external influences, Mediterranean and South Arabian, or even vice versa? The aim of a short visit in Tigrai region was a general survey of Pre-Aksumite and Aksumite sites (Yeha and around, Adowa and around, Hawzen and Gulo Makada, the Eastern part of Tigrai, the region of Atsbi-Dera' and the one of Medri Senafe), and also a geographical study of the kingdom of Aksum, to assert the identification of tribes and regions mentioned in the descriptions of military campaigns. Several pre-Aksumite and Aksumite sites around Aksum and within the study area proposed for a first survey have recently been excavated or surveyed by other teams: Yeha (Iris Gerlach, since November 2009), Haulti (Holger Hitgen, since 2009-2010), Maqabər Ga'əwa (Ricardo Eichmann & Pawel Wolf, since 2009). Thus, the preliminary survey concentrated on documenting several sites first surveyed by H. Berhe (Aksum) et le Tourism and Culture Commission of Tigrai Regional State (TCCTRS, Mekele) in the region of Atsbi-Dera, east Mekelle.

Report on fieldwork - Preliminary survey in Tigray Region, Ethiopia (March 22nd - April 2nd 2010)

Handle everyday research tasks with reliable, citation-backed results

Your personal Research Agent to handle research tasks with citation-backed results

Popular Tasks used by Researchers

How can I help with your research?

Meet SciSpace

Get more enhanced response by uploading the PDFs you want me to reference.

No relevant PDFs in your library

SciSpace is the AI research assistant for academics. Run systematic literature reviews on 280M+ papers, and write papers with cited sources. Trusted by 1M+ students, PhDs & researchers.

SciSpace | AI for Research

Analyze PDFs

Code & Manuscripts

Funding & Grants

Literature & Patents

Medical & Clinical Data

Systematic Review

Visualize & Present

Web & Data

Build a Google Scholar-like website for your research.

Build a website

Create charts and images for your research

Create a Chart

Write a paper for submission to a journal

Draft a manuscript

Patent Search

Design eye-catching scientific posters in minutes.

Scientific Poster Generation

Systematic Literature Review

One task is running at the moment. Your messages will be shown right after.

Drag and drop or click here to browse

Loved by <highlight>1 million+</highlight> researchers

Extract a list of specific topics and their sources from unstructured text

Topics

Compare and analyze relevant papers that matches with your search

Papers

Get insights from PDFs and bookmarked papers from your library

My library

Recent searches

Try searching for:

Catch AI-generated content in scholarly and non-scholarly content

{ai} Detector

Ai Writer

Get PDF Summaries, highlighted text explanations 

Chat with PDF

Effortlessly create in-text citations and bibliographies in APA and 2,500 other formats

Citation generator

Get explanations, summaries, and answers on academic papers

Ease up your research workflow with {scispace}'s cohort of exciting AI tools

Elevate your academic writing skills and convey your ideas the way you want

Paraphraser

Explore our range of reading and writing tools

Your file is being prepared and should be ready in a few minutes. If it's a large file, it might take a bit longer. You can close this window, and we'll email you the file when it's done.

You have reached a maximum limit of <strong>{limit}</strong> columns in the table. Remove at least <strong>1</strong> column to add or create another one.

Iwona Gajda

Author Tools

Chat about Author