Ancient Ethiopia
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Welcome to East Africa Level 1, Lesson 1: Ancient Ethiopia
In this lesson, you will learn about:
The great monuments of Ethiopia
The Kingdom of Axum
The spread of Christianity through Ethiopia
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will understand:
Axum’s trading and export links
The meaning of the term “Negus Negaste”
Where Axum expanded into
How Christianity spread through this kingdom
Who the Falasha were
In the north of modern-day Ethiopia stands the ruins of an ancient civilisation.
Multi-storey buildings such as the Temple of Almaqah were built in this region more than 2500 years ago. This rectangular temple is 25 metres long with thick walls and two small windows. Artefacts have been uncovered amongst these incredible monuments. Thrones designed for the ruler of the ancient kingdom and statues of great religious significance litter the surrounding ruins.
This area of Africa was home to the powerful Kingdom of Axum. Originally a city in Ethiopia, this kingdom blossomed into an empire. In this region, 50 upright stone columns called stelae have been found, with some standing 25 metres high and weighing over 300 tons! It is still not known how the ancient Africans got these massive monuments to stand.
In the ancient world, this area of Africa was the centre of a trading network, with pharaohs such as Queen Hatshepsut of Kemet journeying to the region to purchase wild animals. Giraffes, lions and cheetahs held on leashes were all bought by the pharaoh. In later history, Axum continued this trading tradition, exporting ivory from elephants to Persia, Arabia and India. Trade with Greece was also extensive, and the Greek language was widely understood in the region.
2000 years ago the first emperor of Axum arose, giving himself the title of “Negus Negaste” meaning “king of kings.” However, unlike other kingdoms, kingship wasn’t passed down automatically to the next generation and elections were routinely held.
Approximately 300 years later, Axum expanded its borders, invading and occupying Yemen. Axum also invaded Kush at this time, firmly establishing the Axumite Empire. All trade routes in the area were seized by the Axumites as the empire enriched itself like never before. Trade with China and Sri-Lanka, as well as with Arabia and the Roman Empire, flourished.
It was around this time that Axum, under Negus Ezana, adopted the Christian faith. This was due to the influence of the Phoenicians and Syrians of the Near East. Multiple churches were built throughout the empire including the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Zion, one of the oldest surviving Christian monuments. This change of faith was also accompanied by the development of a new writing script called Ethiopic. However, not everyone converted to Christianity, as many still followed African spiritual beliefs. There were also those of the Jewish faith living in the nation known as the Falasha.