UNIT 3

Politics ,economy and society in Ethiopia and the horn to the end of the
thirteenth century

Main topics
• Emergence of states
• Ancient states( punt and Damat)

Objective
• Evolution of states in Ethiopia and the horn
• Rise and developments of prominent ancient states
EMERGENCE OF STATES
 Emergence of states was mainly related to the beginning of sedentary
agriculture.
 People began to descend or get together for many different reasons.
 Communities started based on the intention of living closer to cultivating
areas and protection of crops from humidity and rodents.
 Smaller forms of collection of people like families and clans preferred to
live together and build larger communities.
 When this happened there was exchange of different tools such as ox
drawn plough, share ways of doing a given task and help each other in hard
in works.
 Expansion of agriculture led to the division of these communities into
economic classes led to the formation of early states.
o The growth of internal and external trade speeded up the information and
development of these states.
o Internal trade routes led their ways across different areas, keeping the
security of merchants and collecting taxes became the duties of tradition
warriors and war leaders.
o Even though religious leaders played prominent role in maintaining the
social and religious affairs they were replaced by the traditional warriors
that became the chiefs of the communities by collecting protection
payments and maintaining their superiority.
o Natural resources and favorable environmental conditions are also one of
the factors of the emergence of states.
o The need for this conditions led people to get together and form
communities so as to consume together and basically share what one have
for the others.
o People indeed want more, need more, lack more and have more than their
present and they will be in a continuous process for fulfilling whatever
‘more’ there is and thus they will be together.
PUNT
 Punt was an ancient state or region that existed in the region known today
as the Horn of Africa.
 The precise location and boundaries of Punt are still a subject of debate
among historians, but it is generally believed to have been located in what is
now modern-day Somalia, Djibouti, and Eritrea, along the coast of the Red
Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

 The exact identity of the people who inhabited Punt is still uncertain. due to
limited archaeological evidence, much of their history and civilization
remains a mystery.
 Theories suggest that they were indigenous African tribes, while others
propose that they might have been a mix of indigenous people and
immigrants from the Arabian Peninsula.
 Punt was renowned for its valuable resources and trade relations with
civilizations like ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptians conducted
expeditions using boats that sailed along the Red Sea coastline, making
stops at various ports and trading with the people of Punt.
 The resources were highly prized and used in religious ceremonies, trade,
and the production of luxury items.
 Punt's significance in the ancient world is evident through its portrayal in
Egyptian records and its role as a hub for trade and cultural exchange.
 Punt declined in prominence and eventually faded from historical records
around the end of the first millennium BCE. The reasons for its decline are
not well understood, but factors such as shifts in trade routes, political
changes, and environmental factors could have played a role.
DAMAT
 Damat is an ancient state that were located to the south of Aksum.
 Few information about Damat came from the inscriptions which are left
behind by its rulers or kings. From this one is mainly used that tentatively
date back to the fifth century.
 According to this these inscriptions the state of Damat had a very strong
contact with Southern Arabia.
 For instance, unknown king of Damat used the politico-relgious title
Mukarrib.
 This shows that Damat had a very strong relations with Southern Arabia.
 Damat used the port of Adulis on the Red Sea coast for trade and other
external relations.
 Various god and goddesses like Astarr (Venus god),Na
uran(light god), shamsi (sun god), sin(moon god),
Almouqah (principak god)were worshiped in the domain
of the damat state.
 Few inscriptions by or about this kingdom survive and a
very little archeological work has been done.
 It ended before the beginning of the Axum dynasty.
OTHER CULTURAL CENTERS IN NORTHERN
ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA
 Yeha is a cultural center located 30kms to the north east of Aksum.
 Emerged around 1000BC and it is the oldest cultural centers.
 Its period of prosperity was believed to be from 750-500 BC.
 Remains of the wall of some of its buildings and stone masonry as well still
standing indicate Yehas glory and culture.
 Hawulti Melazo is located to the southeast of Aksum.
 Excavated stone tablets inscribed in rectangular temple surrounded by a
wall decorated with paintings representing herds of cattle were found at the
place were the cultural center existed.
 Addis -Seglemeni is located at 10kms southwest of Aksum, from where a
stone slab is found and the oldest Ethiopian monumental inscription is
dicovered.