Cultural contacts between South Arabia and Ethiopia: The reconstruction of the ancient cultural region of Yeha (Tigray/Ethiopia)

• Applicants: Dr. Margarete van Ess, since 8/2025; Dr. Iris Gerlach, from 12/2015 until 8/2025; Professor Dr. Norbert Nebes
• Subject Area: Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
• Term: since 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 317574504

The long-term project investigates cultural contacts cultural contacts between the Sabaeans, who immigrated from South Arabia to the region of Tigray in the early 1st millennium BC, and the local population in this region. Thereby, foremost of study will be to discern processes of interaction between South Arabian and indigenous peoples. The geographical focal point of research is the site of Yeha, which in view of its monumental architecture and inscribed evidence can be considered the political and religious centre of this cultural historically most important region on the northern Horn of Africa. Nonetheless, research there is only in its beginnings. Building upon the hitherto known archaeological and epigraphical evidence and on the anticipated results from research in Yeha and surrounding, the emergence and change in this cultural sphere is being analysed and as well as possible lines of tradition traced from the time of the Sabaean presence until the Aksumite period. This approach also includes ethnohistorical research, which due to the conservative memory landscape of Tigray enables methodologically based conclusions about social forms and ways of life in antiquity. Moreover, geoarchaeological lines of inquiry will be pursued by the different cooperation partners concerning the reconstruction of the palaeoenvironment, climate history and use of natural resources to provide evidence for different subsistence forms. Through the cooperation of various branches of the humanities and the natural sciences, as well as the use of state-of-the-art techniques of documentation, a level of research and field work on an ancient cultural landscape corresponding to scientific standards of today should be achieved.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Ethiopia
• Co-Investigators: Professor Dr. Ferran Antolin; Professorin Dr.-Ing. Thekla Schulz-Brize; Dr. Christian Weiß
• Cooperation Partners: Professor Dr. Mulugeta Fesseha; Dr. Astbha Gebreegziabher; Professor Dr. Tekle Hagos