Above left: detail of foundation walls of central villa in small palace complex seen in center or center left of panoramic views, identified as Matara A, surely one of the most architecturally refined and aesthetically pleasing of all known Aksumite structures. Above center: Sabaean-style sphinx disovered in pre-Aksumite temple at Adi Gramaten (also known as Kaskase) between Matara and Quhaito. Above right: entrance steps to 7th Century basilica-form church, called Matara F, which is located under the small hill on the far side of the road as seen on the archaeological site plan. |
The photos, video clips, and illustrations on this page show a few examples of the archaeological record unearthed at Matara, as well as some comparisons with some of the other important Aksumite and pre-Aksumite sites in Eritrea and Ethiopia (all photos, videos, graphics and text copyright © 1969-2005, Skip Dahlgren, unless otherwise credited).
The first section focuses on the hawulti, or stele, which has long been the most famous artifact from Matara, and recently became the focus of international controversy due to the severe damage it sustained during the occupation of the site by Ethiopian troops in May 2000. For more information on this damage and the findings of the International Claims Commission, check the Current Status section.
Below this is a section showing details of different parts of the archaeological site, from both of the major periods in its millennium-long history, as well as videos, photos, and architectural plans that provide an overview of the entire excavation site. Of course, most of what is visible at this scale is the excavated remains of the later Aksumite city.
The next section compares the outline plans of Matara's Aksumite excavations with my pen and ink sketch of the architectural restoration of a similar palace in Aksum prepared by a draftsman with the 1906 German Aksum Expedition directed by Enno Littmann. Next comes an examination of a Christian basilica from 6th Century Matara, compared with other examples of Aksumite architecture, sacred and secular, including the Aksumite period church which still stands on the monastary mountain Debra Damo. Quhaito, Matara's most important neighbor in the chain of Aksumite cities which extend from the capital of Aksum to the Red Sea port of Adulis, is examined in the next section.
Finally there are two sections which examine pre-Aksumite remains from Matara, with comparisons to other sites, particularly from Yeha, capital of the Sabaean-related kingdom called Da'amat; the first shows artifacts, while the second shows architectural remains.
An excellent paper on the latest information regarding the development of urban society in Eritrea and Ethiopia by Rodolfo Fattovich, an Italian archaeologist I worked with in 1971 and 1972 in Yeha and a leading authority on Aksumite and pre-Aksumite archaeology, is available for download in PDF format. Acrobat Reader is required to view this file; click to get Acrobat
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All photos, graphics and text copyright © 1969-2005, Skip Dahlgren, unless otherwise credited.
(1) Here are some photos (click any photo for more information and a larger view) and a video clip (last item on the right end of the second row), showing several views of the hawulti (
- stele or monument) which until recently stood by the road which runs eastward from the main highway through the archaeological site, as well as an archaeological rendering and a detailed site plan. Felled and broken in antiquity, the hawulti was repaired and set in place by Italians during their occupation of Eritrea; its original location isn't known for sure, but it probably stood on or near Gwal Saim. During the occupation of the area by the invading Ethiopian troops, the hawulti was maliciously toppled. Click the small view of the archaeological plan (below right) to see the relative location of the hawulti and the other parts of the site. Note: the video clip is less than 2mb in size, but may take some time to load for people with slower modem connections. This is a QuickTime clip; your browser must be able to view QuickTime in order to see this video. You may click here to install QuickTime for Macintosh or Windows.
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All photos, videos, graphics and text copyright © 1969-2005, Skip Dahlgren, unless otherwise credited.
(2) These are details of a few of the excavated sections of the ancient city as well as some video clips (second row). The photos in the first row are from the upper (Aksumite) period, while those on the third row show details related to the earlier (Sabaean or pre-Aksumite) period. The Aksumite sites on the first row, from left to right, are the central villa of Matara A, the ruined church (Matara F), and a view of small houses and shops in a less opulent section of the city. Click the small view of the archaeological plan (the last item on the first row) to see the locations of all these parts of the site.
The four video clips on the second row are parts of a larger pan across the entire Matara archaeological site, filmed from the top of Gwal Saim. It was broken into segments (with minimal overlap) for easier loading. (When more server space permits, I will provide the complete file for those with broadband connections.) The first of the four shows the western part of the site, from Mat-A past Mat-E2 to Mat-E1. The second pans from Mat-B past Mat-A to the northeast corner of Mat-E2 The third zooms to the north and east to show Mat-F. The fourth pans westward from the hawulti across Mat-C and Mat-D to Mat-B. Note: the video clips range in size from less than 1mb to almost 2mb, but even the smallest may take some time to load for people with slower modem connections. They are QuickTime clips; your browser must be able to view QuickTime in order to see these videos. You may click here to install QuickTime for Macintosh or Windows.
The pre-Aksumite remains on the third row consist of a stone block with a section of a Sabaean inscription that was reused in the construction of the small palace with a large courtyard in the center of Matara E1, and a pre-Aksumite foundation wall partially excavated beneath the foundation of a room in the Aksumite palace at Matara B. Enlarged reference sections of the archaeological plan show rough locations of each area; click on either to see an enlarged view. The section below on pre-Aksumite architecture shows details of some of the best-known and best-preserved pre-Aksumite structures, providing a view of some of what must have been present at Matara when it was part of Da'amat.
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All photos, videos, graphics and text copyright © 1969-2005, Skip Dahlgren, unless otherwise credited.
(3) These drawings are, upper left, my copy of an illustration from Littmann's Deutsche Aksum-Expedition and, to its right, an enlarged detail of the central part of the same drawing; this illustration is a tentative reconstruction of the remains of an Aksumite palace in Aksum partially excavated by Littmann. While scholars disagree over the accuracy of details of the reconstruction, it gives a rough idea of how the larger Aksumite structures in Matara and throughout the kingdom might have appeared. The closeup view to its right shows a typical central villa, the heart of most Aksumite palaces. Click either drawing to see an enlarged view. On the upper right is a thumbnail view of the archaeological site plan; click it for a closer view showing the plans of the Aksumite sites excavated at Matara. Below left is a detail of two of the excavated Aksumite ruins, designated Mat-C and Mat-D. The two complexes are partially joined together; Mat-C on the right, which has a large square central villa, is a fairly typical palace, while Mat-D on the left has a small church or funerary chapel within its courtyard and surrounding walls. Click the photo for a larger view. Below right is a view of the foundation of the central villa of the small palace designated Mat-A. Click the photo for a larger view; click the site plan thumbnail to see the location of the site.
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All photos, graphics and text copyright © 1969-2005, Skip Dahlgren, unless otherwise credited.
(4) These photos are included to give an idea of the original appearance of the church at Matara F, as well as the other Aksumite buildings excavated at Matara. They show views of the Aksumite style church on Debra Damo monastery, which probably dates to the early medieval period, a time when the Aksumite architectural style was still current. The first photo on the upper row shows the front of the church. Aside from the modern tin roof, the building displays the main features of Aksumite buildings, such as the alternating layers of stone and wood above the foundation, the projecting crossbeams (known as monkeyheads, and windows and doors made of interlocked wooden frameworks. The second upper photo shows part of the inside of the church, including a finely-carved stone column and capital in the foreground and the heavy beams that from this angle hide the famed cofferend ceiling with its panels of intricately-carved designs. The column and capital are very similar with those from other Aksumite sites, including Quhaito. Click on the small detail of the Mat-F site plan, the last image in the first row, for an enlargement, along with a view of the entire excavation plan to show the relationship of this church to the rest of the excavated buildings of the city.
The first photo in the lower row shows one side of the church. The Aksumite characteristics of alternating wood and stone, monkeyheads, and framework doors and windows, are shown in this photo, as well as another Aksumite feature: the alternating projecting and recessed sections of the wall, clearly visible in the Matara A foundation as well as in the reconstructed central villa. The second lower photo is a closeup view of the wall at the back of the entry room of the church, behind the open entryway with its central column, and from which a double doorway leads into the room seen in the photo above. It is possible that this may have been the original outer wall. In any case, it too shows the typical Aksumite features, including monkeyhead construction and the interlocked window frame, which in this case is intricately carved. Finally, a view of the church at Matara F (upper far right), the columns at Quhaito (lower near right), and the foundation of Matara A (lower far right) for comparison with this Aksumite relic.
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All photos, graphics and text copyright © 1969-2005, Skip Dahlgren, unless otherwise credited.
(5) Matara was one of a chain of cities which appear to have been stations on the route from Aksum in the Tigray highlands to the Red Sea port city of Adulis (see the road map and the Ancient Aksum sketch map to see the location of some of the cities in this chain). One of these cities, or rather its ruins, known as Quhaito (also transliterated as Qohaito or Cohaito), stands to the north of Matara on the edge of the escarpment which falls away toward the coast to the east. Largely unexcavated, Quhaito contains ruins of several major palaces and churches, as well as a large, well-built stone dam which once was thought to be pre-Aksumite, but now some believe to be of Aksumite construction. In any case, it is still largely intact, a testiment to the fine engineering that went into the dam.
Quhaito was the site of one of my most remarkable experiences in the five years that I lived in Asmara. My essay about this unexpected encounter on 4 July 1969 is now a part of this website.
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All photos, graphics and text copyright © 1969-2005, Skip Dahlgren, unless otherwise credited.
(6) These assorted artifacts, from various parts of Eritrea and Tigray, are a sampling of the artistic treasures of the pre-Aksumite kingdom of Da'amat (see ancient Aksum sketch map). On the top row, the first (two views) is a small Sabaean-style sphinx disovered at Adi Gramaten (also known as KaskasČ), located between Matara and Quhaito, followed by a small Sabaean inscription from Melazo (a site near Aksum), an ornate stone throne from Hawulti (also near Aksum), and some bronze identity marks from Yeha. Below is a frieze of ibex (an animal sacred to the lunar god Ilumquh which also appears on the top of the throne), a monumental Sabaean inscription, both from Yeha.
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All photos, graphics and text copyright © 1969-2005, Skip Dahlgren, unless otherwise credited.
(7) Below are photos showing elements of pre-Aksumite architecture and some fragments of decorative stonework from two major structures in Yeha, the capital of the pre-Aksumite kingdom of Da'amat (see ancient Aksum sketch map). While Yeha is the best-known and most studied site from this period, there is strong similarity between elements of these structures and the lesser known examples from Matara. As with the Aksumite remains at Matara, Yeha provides an additional advantage for the study of its surviving pre-Aksumite architecture: there was little or no significant later construction obscuring or further damaging the remains.
The photos on the first row show the large Sabaean-period building known as Enda Abuna Afse. Generally identified as a temple, this structure bears strong similarity to the royal mausoleum in the Sabaean archaeological site at Marib in Yemen. The first photo shows the outside front corner of the building; the exterior masonry is nearly intact from foundation to roof level. Next are two photos of the front of the structure, showing the massive entryway. In the first, taken from outside the wall surrounding Enda Abuna Afse, traces of second-story windows above and to either side of the doorway can be seen; in the second, which shows a standing figure to provide scale, the fine masonry can be clearly seen, as can the shallow groove, also visible in the photo on the far left, in which the door frame (most likely wooden) once was fit. The last photo on the first row, which also has figures for scale, shows the inside front corner of the building, with the remarkably well-preserved inner wall surface to the level of the ceiling of the first floor, above which only the outer casing survived the collapse of the upper floor.
The first photo on the second row shows a collection of construction and decorative elements lying in an inside corner of Enda Abuna Afse. This material appears to include what may be a column capital in the center of the photo, and a slab which may have been a dividing wall between two small chambers in a crypt or other storage room. Next is a view of the excavated remains of a wall foundation and remnants of the wall proper from the excavation site of a large temple, known today as Grat Ba'al Gibri, which lies across the market square from Enda Abuna Afse. The next view shows a detail of one of the fine masonry blocks which formed the inner and outer surfaces of the wall; the surviving masonry blocks are similar to those in the walls of Enda Abuna Afse, but this was the back wall of a grand portico on which stood six massive columns. The last photo shows the shattered lower part of one of these colums, partly wrenched out of its base during the destruction of the building; the person standing nearby provides scale.
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All photos, graphics and text copyright © 1969-2005, Skip Dahlgren, unless otherwise credited.
