Ancient Settlement Patterns in the Area of Aksum (Tigray, Northern Ethiopia) - Ca. 900 BCE-800/850 CE

Table of Contents:
Introduction Aims and methodology The book chapter by chapter Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Environmental setting Geology and geomorphology Soil types and distribution Water resources Climatic fluctuations and environmental dynamics Vegetation and fauna Chapter 2 Mapping literary sources: pre-field studies and the location of archaeological evidence Sixteenth to nineteenth century European travellers, missionaries and explorers Archaeological research from the early 20th century to present time The Deutsche Aksum-Expedition The Italian occupation The Ethiopian Institute of Archaeology The years between 1970 and 1974 From the recommencement of archaeological research to date Conclusions Chapter 3 Acquiring new data: the two survey projects, field strategies and procedures Surveying the landscape: field procedures and data collection The 2005 survey of Bieta Giyorgis and adjacent areas The Ethiopian Cultural Heritage Survey Project Chapter 4 The archaeological area of Aksum: a reassessment The archaeological area of Aksum: some quantitative analysis Causes of degradation and alteration of the surface exposure of archaeological records in the area of Aksum Taphonomic processes in farming areas Taphonomic processes in forested areas Taphonomic processes in urban areas Taphonomic processes in fallow grounds and pasturelands Conclusions Chapter 5 Classifying surface archaeological records Site interpretation Chronological classification Conclusions Chapter 6 Modelling ancient settlement patterns Frequency, dimension and distribution of sites Non-elite residential units and temporary dwellings Elite residential and/or administrative buildings Religious buildings, cemeteries and other ritual places Lithic workshops Infrastructures and landmarks Mestah Werki Chapter 7 A zoom in on Aksum's ancient city-centre: form and aesthetics of a capital city The monuments of Aksum: an overview Monumental buildings Funerary structures Thrones The urban landscape at Aksum's apogee Conclusions Chapter 8 Ancient land exploitation strategies and soil erosion dynamics: new evidence from palaeoagricultural and archaeological studies The study-area Palaeoagricultural evidence The contribution of archaeology Abandonment as main cause of soil erosion: historical and ethnographical comparisons Conclusions Chapter 9 Final overview and future agenda Aksum's development from the early 1st millennium BCE to the late 1st millennium CE: a synthesis Beyond Aksum Future agenda and conclusions Appendices Appendix 1 List of the Surface Archaeological Records detected in the area of Aksum during the 2005 survey project of the Italian Archaeological Expedition at Aksum of the University of Naples "L'Orientale" Appendix 2 Interpretation of the Surface Archaeological Records detected in the area of Aksum during the 2005 survey project of the Italian Archaeological Expedition at Aksum of the University of Naples "L'Orientale" Appendix 3 Chronological classification of the Surface Archaeological Records detected at Aksum during the 2005 survey project of the Italian Archaeological Expedition at Aksum of the University of Naples "L'Orientale" Appendix 4 List of the Surface Archaeological Records detected in the area of Aksum during the World Bank Ethiopian Cultural Heritage Project Appendix 5 Interpretation of the Surface Archaeological Records detected in the area of Aksum during the World Bank Ethiopian Cultural Heritage Project Appendix 6 Chronological classification of the Surface Archaeological Records detected in the area of Aksum during the World Bank Ethiopian Cultural Heritage Project Bibliography

About the Author :
Luisa Sernicola obtained her PhD at the University of Naples 'L'Orientale', with a research project on the ancient settlement pattern of the area of Aksum, northern Ethiopia. Since 2005, Luisa has been conducting archaeological investigations in the area and is now co-director of the Italian Archaeological Expedition of 'L'Orientale' at Aksum.5pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana'>

Review :
'.a good contribution to the reconstruction of the ancient settlement strategies of the Aksum region and a very technical synthesis in which the archaeological data have been successfully organized and discussed; it will be a reliable reference work for those scholars involved in future investigations in the area of Aksum and on the T?grayan plateau.' Alessio Agostini, Aethiopica, International Journal of Ethiopian and Eritrean Studies, Volume 22, 2019