Archaeologists in Ethiopia uncover ancient city in Harlaa

A forgotten city thought to date back as far as the 10th century AD (more than 1,000 years old) has been uncovered by a team of archaeologists in eastern Ethiopia.

Artefacts from Egypt, India and China have been found in the city in the Harlaa region, as well as a mosque dating from the 12th century.

Archaeologists say this proves historic connections between different Islamic communities in Africa, and shows that this erea was the centre of trade in that region. Indeed, “Residents of Harlaa were a mixed community of foreigners and local people who traded with others in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean (Professor Timothy Insoll).

 

The team also found jewellery, fragments of glass vessels, rock crystal, glass beads, cowry shells and pottery and other artefacts from Madagascar, the Maldives, Yemen and China. Harlaa was apparently a “rich, cosmopolitan” centre for jewellery making (Prof Insoll).

 

 

Archaeologists also located the remains of 300 people buried in a cemetery that are being examined to see what kind of diet they had.

Ethiopia was one of the earliest places known to be inhabited by humans. In 2015 researchers discovered jaw bones and teeth in the north-west of the country dating to between 3.3m and 3.5m years old.

 

Source:BBC News & News Week