Matara: the Archaeological Investigation of a City of Ancient Eritrea

Abstract

Following an overview of the chronological context of Eritrean-Ethiopian antiquity, and a brief summary of research on the Pre-Aksumite and Aksumite periods, this article presents the results of the archaeological excavations carried out by the author and the Ethiopian Institute of Archaeology at the site of Matara, in Eritrea. Four residential complexes and two religious edifices, including a basilica, have been discovered; they belonged to the Aksumite phase. Tombs and numerous inscriptions attest to long occupation of the site from the Pre-Aksumite period, the underlying levels having not been investigated.