Yeha, likely the capital of the ancient kingdom of DʿMT, featured a multi-storeyed palace, a grand temple, and elite burial tombs. Becoming one of the earliest major population centres in the region’s
Scientific Visualization Of Yəḥa During Its Peak in the first millennium BC, By The German Archaeological Institute. Source
This is a brief article focused solely on Yeha. A more detailed analysis of DʿMT is currently in progress, which will delve into its kings, religion, major sites, statues, and other artefacts.
Map Of The Major Archeological Sites In The Northern-Highlands. Source...
After the second millennium BC, references to Punt largely disappear from historical records. However, civilisation in the northern highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea continued. Contact with South Arabia increased, particularly from the latter half of the second millennium BC, as South Arabian polities began to take greater interest in the region and likewise the polities of the highlands recouped some of the losses from a loss of Egyptian trade. Thus interaction intensified, especially through merchants, increasing numbers of them began to settle and intermingle with the predominantly Cushitic population, giving rise to a partially Semitic-speaking community.
By around the 8th century BC, new polities began to emerge across the northern highlands. One such entity was called DʿMT (Vocalized: Daʿəmat or Da‘amat1) . Like one of its most prominent cities/towns was ይሐ/Yəḥa(in-fact this was likely the capital of the polity). Yəḥa was mentioned in an inscription stating that the king Waʾran of DʿMT was appointed “Lord Of The Temple” (See the inscription below, for more info), it is also currently the only site with a grand palace (See section on Grat Be'al Gebri).
Dating back to the early first millennium BC, Yəḥa’s significance is evidenced by its remarkably preserved structures, currently unparalled in the region. These structures reflect strong architectural similarites with the Sabaeans of South Arabia, while also displaying distinct features indigenous to the region.
Yəḥa is likely to have been home to one of the largest urban centers in “Pre-Aksumite” (First Millennium BC) era, the sheer size and complexity of the structures is currently unmatched.
There are three significant pre-Aksumite structures/sites located at Yəḥa, which I will explore in this article:
The Great Temple of Yəḥa
The Palace at Grat Be'al Gebri
The Necropolis at Daaro Mikael & Abiy Addi
A map depicting the three major pre-Aksumite sites found at Yeha (Source: Reconsidering Yeha, c. 800–400 BC Rodolfo Fattovich, p.g 276)
The name 'Yəḥa' originates from an inscription discovered on an altar at Addi Akaweh, an archeological site in south-eastern Tigray2.
Different Views Of The Altar At Meqaber Ga’ewa. Source: The Almaqah Temple of Wuqro in Tigrai/Ethiopia, pg 24.
“Waʾran, the king, who downthrows (the enemies), son of Radiʿum and Shakkatum, the companion, rebuilt (the altar) for Almaqah, when he was appointed the Lord of the temple of Almaqah in Yahaʾ, on instruction of Attar and Almaqah and Dat Hamyim and Dat Baʿdan.” - Source: The Almaqah Temple of Wuqro in Tigrai/Ethiopia, pg 24.
Addi Akaweh itself features a temple and several notable artefacts, including a statue of a woman. A detailed discussion of this site, along with other DʿMT towns, will be explored in a dedicated article on DʿMT coming very soon….
The Great Temple was once a significant centre of worship, it’s currently the oldest remaining megastructure in the region, that is largely intact, dating to this time period. It uniquely mixes indigenous and South Arabian architectural styles. Its main purpose seemed to be a place of worship for the god Almaqah3, which was the southern Arabian moon god.
Although researchers initially dated the temple's age to 500 BC, it has since been revised to 800 BC4. Before the creation of the temple, a settlement is thought to have existed in the surrounding area.
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Almaqah is associated with the Ge'ez word "ኣምላኽ" (ahmlak), which means "god" and is still used in modern Tigrinya. This is likely because the word was adapted during the conversion to Christianity in the 4th & 5th century AD.
Excavations
Various Artifacts Found At Yəḥa, From Left To Right: A Vase, Christian Ritual Object & Bronze Cauldron
Extensive archaeological excavations have revealed much about the temple's structure and history. The Great Temple, owes much of this to its current preservation to its function as a church dedicated to Abba Aftse. This adaptation, believed to have occurred around the 6th century AD, not only preserved the structure but also integrated it into the ongoing religious practices of the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian community. Even now the temple hosts major annual religious festivals, reflecting its continued significance as a sacred site5.
Numerous foreign travellers such as the Portuguese explorer Alvares, who visited Yəḥa in the early 16th century AD, noted the ancient structures existence:
“We went this day to sleep at a town between the peaks called Abafacem,in which town is a very good church of Our Lady, well built, with the middle aisle raised above the two sides or edges, with its windows very well constructed, and all the church vaulted. We had not seen any of this type in this country: in Portugal, in Entre Douro and Minho, there are monasteries of this type. Close to the said church is a very large and handsome tower, both for its height and the good workmanship of the walls, and for its width; it is already getting damaged, and yet it is plain it was a royal affair, all of well-hewn stone: we have not seen such another building” - The Prester John of the Indies, Volume I, pg 140 & 141.
The structure spans 18.6m in length x 15.0 m in width and has a height of 13 meters6, the walls consisted of rectangular blocks of sandstone. The Great Temple originally featured a large porch at its west that extended over 5.1m7 with six rectangular pillars, a design element that finds parallels in structures in southern Arabia. From the entrance, the double wooden doors opened to reveal a narrow passageway leading to the temple8.
Yəḥa Temple Interior Layout. Source: Le Grand Temple de Yéha (Tigray, Éthiopie), après la première campagne de fouilles de la Mission françaisem Figure 22.
The structure features a ground floor and evidence suggesting the existence of a second floor. The interior dimensions are 12.6m by 11.3m, comprising a central nave flanked by two sides, each with two aisles separated by square pillars (totalling five aisles). An inner drainage system, likely used to channel liquid runoff, is also evident. At the rear of the temple, a stepped entrance leads to three rooms (likely the sanctuary)9.
A drainage system was also discovered at a temple at Addi Akaweh. It appears to have been part of a ritual in which liquids were poured into a bull’s head placed at the altar, then channelled through a drain in the ground where they would be collected10.
It’s likely the Yəḥa Temple, had an altar with a similar function.
These ibex carvings, now located at the nearby church in Yəḥa, may have originally been on the temple itself11. Ibexs are a common motif found in classical era art in the region, especailly in southern arabia.
Grat Be'al Gebri: Elite Architecture
Grat Be'al Gebri Roughly translates to Place/Field Of Celeberation & Tribute.
Another significant discovery at Yəḥa was Grat Be'al Gebri, often referred to as a ‘Palace’. The structure likely served as a residential and administrative hub for the local ruling elite (Likely the kings of DʿMT and thier entourage). Archeologist Francis Anfray has dated the structure to between the 5th Century & 2nd century BC12.
Prior to the construction of the palace, archeologists have found an earlier structure existed13.
The building spanned at least 46 x 46 meters and included a 4.5-meter-high podium, This podium housed an interior chamber system14. It was constructed primarly from timber & locally quarryed stone (a charachteristic common in later “Aksumite Era” structures as well)15.
The primary entrance was marked by a six-pillar roofed porch, the bases of which, along with some pillar remnants, remain today. Behind this grand entryway lay a large gated doorway leading into a hallway, which in turn opened into a corridor that bisected the building. This corridor provided access to various rooms, although the specifics of these rooms remain poorly documented due to the building's deteriorated condition16.
Remanents Of The Staircase Entry Into Grat Be'al Gebri
Grat Be'al Gebri, showcases two principal phases of construction, each illustrating different architectural techniques and cultural influences. Initially, this monumental building was erected with a distinctive South Arabian influence, featuring a stepped podium and a front porch supported by pillars. Unfortunately, this initial structure met its demise likely through a catastrophic fire, leading to its destruction17. The earliest section of the building is the outside staircase entrance, which is estimated to be dated to around 750 BC-500 BC18. This staircase had more than 24 steps19!
Subsequently, a second building phase ensued where a new structure was built directly over the ruins of the first. This new construction utilized different wall techniques, possibly incorporating the 'monkey-head' technique - which would be utilized often during the “Aksumite Era”, which is known for its timber framing and use of rubble stones and mud mortar. Stratigraphic test pits at the base of the podium further revealed that the site had been occupied even before the construction of the original building20.
Excavations and tests in areas surrounding Grat Be'al Gebri have yielded some in-tact artifacts. Specifically from the second phase of the building's use include a variety of objects such as vases and jars.
A remarkable discovery was a statue of a woman dressed in traditional cotton attire resembling a modern-day Kemis. Nicknamed the "Queen of Yəḥa," it was found at the nearby Pre-Aksumite archaeological site of Hawelti and dates back to the same era in which Yəḥa thrived.
The site of Hawelti, will be discussed in the article dedicated to DʿMT.
Queen Of Yəḥa Statue, In The National Museum Of Ethiopia. Source
Could this "Queen of Yəḥa" be connected to the Queen of Sheba? While it may seem far-fetched, the dating of this period, along with Yəḥa’s Sabaeic influence, suggests the possible existence of a prominent queen during this era—one whose legacy may have later evolved into the Queen of Sheba narrative found in the Kebra Nagast.
Queens feature prominently in inscriptions and physical artefacts, such as statues, from the DʿMT period. Scholars note that this level of prominence is not mirrored in contemporary South Arabian culture, suggesting that was a distinctive indigenous characteristic of DʿMT and Yəḥa21.
The Necropolis
Further to the south, of the aforementioned buildings is the necropolis, a large burial site, called Daro Mikae, where tombs possibly of the elite of DʿMT society have been uncovered. The tombs highlight a society that placed importance on the afterlife and its preparation, especially for wealther citizens.
Professor Rodolfo Fattovich suggested a date for these tombs around the mid-first millennium BC, with evidence of continued use into the late first to early second millennia AD22.
It is believed that the tombs found in Yəḥa were used for the rulers of the surrounding areas, probably the elusive D’MT kingdom. It is interesting to note that similar subterranean tombs were also used for Aksumite rulers at Aksum, over a millennia later. This suggests that the practice of building such tombs may have originated in Yəḥa.
Daaro Mikael
Yəḥa(1960). Map showing the location of tombs in Sector I. Source: F. Anfray 1963a. Une campagne de fouilles à Yéha), CXV
In the 1960s and 1970s, the Ethiopian Institute of Archaeology, led by archaeologist F. Anfray, conducted excavations at Daaro Mikael, located at the Necropolis south of Yəḥa. The team uncovered seventeen tombs and two burial chambers, most of which contained various types of pottery and artefacts, with some even holding skeletal remains23.
Tombs At The Necropolis At Daro Mikae- Source: F. Anfray 1963a. Une campagne de fouilles à Yéha)
These artefacts included storage vessels like large vases for holding grain, cauldrons for cooking, and possibly even early forms of Jebenas used for brewing coffee. Other items found included tools for cutting wheat, bracelets, necklaces, incense burners, and objects from later periods, such as crosses.
Various Artifacts Found At The Necropolis
Seals
One of the artifacts discovered, were bronze seals, some of these featured Sabaen scripts and motifs like an Ibex which was associated with the god Almaqah, however, they also included indigenous elements not seen in southern Arabia24.
Bronze Identity Seals, Found At The Necropolis at Daro Mikae.Source: F. Anfray 1963a. Une campagne de fouilles à Yéha), CLIV
Aerial Photograph of two tombs at the Yeha Necropolis. (Source: Yeha and Hawelti: cultural contacts between Saba3 and DCMT - New research by the German Archaeological Institute in Ethiopia, pg 153).
In the autumn of 2009, a joint Ethiopian-German archaeological team conducted a survey in the area of Yəḥa, specifically on the hill slope of Abiy Addi, located opposite the ancient Yəḥa settlement. This survey led to the discovery of a necropolis with visible signs of burial sites, Local residents shared with the team that one of the tombs contained a shaft and a staircase, indicating the presence of subterranean burial chambers25.
Further excavation in the spring of 2010 revealed six rock-cut tombs, each featuring a 2.5-meter-deep vertical shaft of rectangular shape, with one grave chamber at each of the narrow ends. These Chambers were of various sizes, some extending up to 4 metres in length and 1.2 metres in height. The entrances to these chambers were originally sealed by rectangular stones, though most were missing by the time of discovery.26.
Interestingly, rock-cut tombs of this type appear don’t appear in South Arabia until the 1st century AD, suggesting that such burial practices were indigenous to the region27.
Brief Timeline Of Events & Interaction with Periphery States
Own Work (for more info see: Reconsidering Yeha, c. 800–400 BC by Rodolfo Fattovich, pg, 282)
Pottery resembling the style found in Yəḥa, initially found mostly in local areas during Phase 1, expanded in distribution during Phase 2. This expansion included not only sites in Tigray but also in Akkele Guzay, suggesting increased interaction and cooperation between the populations of these regions. In contrast, the ancient Ona sites in Asmara preserved their unique ceramic traditions, though fragments of Ona jars have been discovered in Akkele Guzay and Tigray. This indicates that trade was possible, however Ona sites likely had their distinct culture and possibly their own elites28.
It’s likely that during this time many different polities existed in the highlands of northern Ethiopia & Eritrea, but without a doubt DʿMT & by extension Yəḥa was one of, if not the most powerful polities in the region at this period.
Conclusion
Yəḥa is one of the most famous and researched sites from this early classical era, in the first millennium BC. It is home to several significant structures, including a grand temple, an elite residence resembling a palace, and burial tombs for the ruling class. Likely one of the most urbanised centres of its time, Yəḥa played a pivotal role within the DʿMT kingdom. Despite ongoing research, our understanding of the site remains in its early stages, and future discoveries are inevitable. Yəḥa offers some of the earliest evidence of a hierarchical society in the Horn of Africa, marked by its organised religious, residential, and funerary spaces.
Further Readings
Not much information regarding Yəḥa is available, but the following research papers give a decent overview:
Yeha and Hawelti: cultural contacts between Saba and DMT - New research by the German Archaeological Institute in Ethiopia by Sarah Japp, Iris Gerlach, Holger Hitgen & Mike Schnelle (pg, 147).
Yeha and Hawelti: cultural contacts between Saba and DMT - New research by the German Archaeological Institute in Ethiopia by Sarah Japp, Iris Gerlach, Holger Hitgen & Mike Schnelle (pg, 148).
Yeha and Hawelti: cultural contacts between Saba and DMT - New research by the German Archaeological Institute in Ethiopia by Sarah Japp, Iris Gerlach, Holger Hitgen & Mike Schnelle (pg, 150).
Yeha and Hawelti: cultural contacts between Saba and DMT - New research by the German Archaeological Institute in Ethiopia by Sarah Japp, Iris Gerlach, Holger Hitgen & Mike Schnelle (pg, 151).
Yeha and Hawelti: cultural contacts between Saba and DMT - New research by the German Archaeological Institute in Ethiopia by Sarah Japp, Iris Gerlach, Holger Hitgen & Mike Schnelle (pg, 154).
Yeha and Hawelti: cultural contacts between Saba and DMT - New research by the German Archaeological Institute in Ethiopia by Sarah Japp, Iris Gerlach, Holger Hitgen & Mike Schnelle (pg, 154).
Yeha and Hawelti: cultural contacts between Saba and DMT - New research by the German Archaeological Institute in Ethiopia by Sarah Japp, Iris Gerlach, Holger Hitgen & Mike Schnelle (pg, 153).
Yeha and Hawelti: cultural contacts between Saba and DMT - New research by the German Archaeological Institute in Ethiopia by Sarah Japp, Iris Gerlach, Holger Hitgen & Mike Schnelle (pg, 153).
Yeha and Hawelti: cultural contacts between Saba and DMT - New research by the German Archaeological Institute in Ethiopia by Sarah Japp, Iris Gerlach, Holger Hitgen & Mike Schnelle (pg, 154).
