Rock-cut churches in central and eastern Tigray: Outcomes of surveys as well as technical, social and economic hypothesis.

Anaïs Lamesa, Hailay Hailu Atsba, Bertrand Saint-Bézar

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Surveys conducted between January and March 2020 in central and eastern Tәgray aimed to begin researches on medieval communities and their rock-cut practice, focusing on churches. This article presents the results of these surveys, raises the importance of questioning some hypothesises on a number of sites, suggests new dates for some monuments and challenges the hypothesises of technical continuity in the rock-cutting practice between medieval and contemporary times in the Tәgray region. The first part of this paper presents a state-of-art on the rock-cut churches in Tәgray. This part is also underlining the importance to study these monuments with a new focus, using an interdisciplinary method by bringing together archaeological, anthropological and historical approaches. The second part presents the rockhewn churches recently excavated or in the process of being hewn. A discussion follows this part on the techniques and the chaînes opératoires used nowadays as well as some hypothesises on the economics of rockhewn worksites and the organisation of stoneworkers’ teams. The third part details the sites placed between the medieval and modern times. Interpretation of each site is discussed by the proxy of the method of the archaeology of technology and the recent hypothesises proposed by other researchers. Following this third part, a discussion highlights the variety of techniques and chaînes opératoires used during the medieval times. It also raises the importance of carrying out systematic research requiring this new multidisciplinary approach.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)245-296
JournalAnnales d'Éthiopie
Volume34
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 31 Dec 2022

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • archaeology
  • ethnoarchaeology
  • church
  • rockhewn practice
  • chaîne opératoire
  • Medieval times
  • present times
  • Tigray

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