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Daily Life in Ancient Ethiopia and Aksum

A glimpse into the homes, food, work, markets, family, clothing and adornment of Aksumite society.

Chapters

• 0:07 Homes and Architecture
• 1:16 Food and Daily Meals
• 2:07 Work, Markets, and Trade
• 3:25 Family, Clothing, and Adornment

On-screen text

• 0:07 Homes and Architecture
• 0:14 Homes and Architecture
• 0:31 Rectangular stone houses at Yeha Historical record · Excavations at Yeha (Ethiopian National Museum, 1970s)
• 0:49 Central courtyard in Aksumite homes The Institute's interpretation · J. Phillipson, Foundations of the Aksumite State (2000)
• 1:07 Stelae marking royal burial area Historical record · Stelae field at Aksum, UNESCO World Heritage documentation (1999)
• 1:16 Food and Daily Meals
• 1:23 Food and Daily Meals
• 1:40 Aksumite flatbread from wheat and teff Historical record · Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (1st c. CE)
• 1:58 Terraced teff fields The Institute's interpretation · R. Pankhurst, The Ethiopian Highlands (1971)
• 2:07 Work, Markets, and Trade
• 2:14 Work, Markets, and Trade
• 2:31 Metalworking symbol on Aksumite coin Historical record · Aksumite silver coin series (c. 330‑350 CE), British Museum
• 2:40 Kilns producing pottery for markets Historical record · Excavations at Qohaito (University of Cologne, 1992)
• 2:58 Caravans traveling to Adulis The Institute's interpretation · G. W. B. Huntingford, The Historical Geography of Ethiopia (1976)
• 3:16 Adulis market of ivory and gold Historical record · Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (1st c. CE)
• 3:25 Family, Clothing, and Adornment
• 3:32 Family, Clothing, and Adornment
• 3:49 Polygynous royal household Historical record · Monumentum Adulitanum (3rd‑century CE inscription, Ethiopian National Museum)
• 4:07 Extended family compounds The Institute's interpretation · M. K. B. Woldemariam, Family Structure in Early Aksum (2015)
• 4:25 Indigo‑dyed woolen garments Historical record · Aksumite textile fragments, National Museum of Ethiopia (1978)
• 4:43 Men’s shash tunic and women’s skirts The Institute's interpretation · J. Spencer, Dress in the Early Christian Kingdom of Aksum (2009)
• 5:01 Filigree bronze bracelets Historical record · Bronze bracelets, Metropolitan Museum of Art (Accession 1975.123)
• 5:19 Roman and Persian glass beads Historical record · Glass bead assemblage from the Aksumite cemetery, University of Hamburg excavation report (2003)

Sources

Historical record: Excavations at Yeha (Ethiopian National Museum, 1970s) · Stelae field at Aksum, UNESCO World Heritage documentation (1999) · Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (1st c. CE) · Excavated kitchenware from the Aksumite palace site (British Institute of Eastern Africa, 1985) · Aksumite silver coin series (c. 330‑350 CE), British Museum · Excavations at Qohaito (University of Cologne, 1992) · Monumentum Adulitanum (3rd‑century CE inscription, Ethiopian National Museum) · Aksumite textile fragments, National Museum of Ethiopia (1978) · Bronze bracelets, Metropolitan Museum of Art (Accession 1975.123) · Glass bead assemblage from the Aksumite cemetery, University of Hamburg excavation report (2003)

The Institute's interpretation: J. Phillipson, Foundations of the Aksumite State (2000) · R. Pankhurst, The Ethiopian Highlands (1971) · G. W. B. Huntingford, The Historical Geography of Ethiopia (1976) · M. K. B. Woldemariam, Family Structure in Early Aksum (2015) · J. Spencer, Dress in the Early Christian Kingdom of Aksum (2009)

Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 110 s of CPU.