The kings of Aksum formally became Christian during the second quarter of the 4th century, making Ethiopia the second country in the world (after Armenia) officially to adopt the new faith. This landmark book is the first to integrate historical, archaeological, and art-historical evidence to provide a comprehensive account of Ethiopian Christian civilization and its churches―both built and rock-hewn―from the Aksumite period to the 13th century. 
David W. Phillipson, a foremost authority on Ethiopia’s archaeology, situates these churches within the development of Ethiopian society, illuminating the exceptional continuity of the country’s Christian civilization. He offers a fresh view of the processes which gave rise to this unique African culture as well as the most detailed treatment of the rock-hewn churches at Lalibela World Heritage Site ever published. Abundantly illustrated, filled with original insights, and incorporating new chronological findings, this book will be of enormous interest to a wide international circle of students, scholars, and travelers.

Ancient Churches of Ethiopia

History

Phillipson, David W.

Africa

Yale University Press

This book provides a concise and up-to-date authoritative survey of the archaeology of Africa, from the origin of mankind until the last few centuries. Written in non-technical language, it is fully illustrated with photographs, maps and line drawings, and it has a comprehensive bibliography. Egypt and North Africa are here considered in their African context, together with a comprehensive discussion of West, East, Central and Southern Africa, to provide a continent-wide survey of human development in Africa. The relevance of archaeological research to understanding today's Africa is stressed, as is the contribution Africa has made to the human cultural heritage. This book will be of appeal to all who are interested in the past of the African peoples.

African Archaeology (Cambridge World Archaeology)

Politics & Social Sciences

Archaeology

Cambridge University Press

This book provides a concise and up-to-date authoritative survey of the archaeology of Africa, from the origin of mankind until the last few centuries. Written in non-technical language, it is fully illustrated with photographs, maps and line drawings, and it has a comprehensive bibliography. Egypt and North Africa are here considered in their African context, together with a comprehensive discussion of West, East, Central and Southern Africa, to provide a continent-wide survey of human development in Africa. The relevance of archaeological research to understanding today's Africa is stressed, as is the contribution Africa has made to the human cultural heritage. This book will be of appeal to all who are interested in the past of the African peoples.

David Phillipson has expanded and updated his survey on the archaeology of Africa in a lucid, fully illustrated account which extends from the origins of humanity to the time of European colonization. The book effectively demonstrates the relevance of archaeological research to an understanding of Africa today, and stresses the continent's contribution to the human cultural heritage.

Social Sciences

David Phillipson highlights the contribution that archaeology can make to the understanding of the African continent and its people. He defends the vital role of the museum as custodian of a significant part of our international cultural heritage and essential resource for the furthering of international scholarship.

Archaeology in Africa and in Museums

David Phillipson presents an illustrated account of African prehistory, from the origins of humanity through European colonization in this revised and expanded edition of his original work. Phillipson considers Egypt and North Africa in their African context, comprehensively reviewing the archaeology of West, East, Central and Southern Africa. His book demonstrates the relevance of archaeological research to understanding contemporary Africa and stresses the continent's contribution to the cultural heritage of humankind.

African Archaeology (Cambridge World Archaeology (Paperback))

David Phillipson presents an illustrated account of African prehistory, from the origins of humanity through European colonization in this revised and expanded edition of his original work. Phillipson considers Egypt and North Africa in their African context, comprehensively reviewing the archaeology of West, East, Central and Southern Africa. His book demonstrates the relevance of archaeological research to understanding contemporary Africa and stresses the continent's contribution to the cultural heritage of humankind.

African Archaeology

The later prehistory of eastern and southern Africa

The Later Prehistory of Eastern and Southern Africa

Holmes & Meier Pub

Focuses on the Aksumite state of the first millennium AD in northern Ethiopia and southern Eritrea, its development, florescence and eventual transformation into the so-called medieval civilisation of Christian Ethiopia. This book seeks to apply a common methodology, utilising archaeology, art-history, written documents and oral tradition from a wide variety of sources; the result is a far greater emphasis on continuity than previous studies have revealed. It is thus a major re-interpretation of a key development in Ethiopia's past, while raising and discussing methodological issues of the relationship between archaeology and other historical disciplines; these issues, which have theoretical significance extending far beyond Ethiopia, are discussed in full. The last millennium BC is seen as a time when northern Ethiopia and parts of Eritrea were inhabited by farming peoples whose ancestry may be traced far back into the local 'Late Stone Age'. Colonisation from southern Arabia, to which defining importance has been attached by earlier researchers, is now seen to have been brief in duration and small in scale, its effects largely restricted to élite sections of the community. Re-consideration of inscriptions shows the need to abandon the established belief in a single 'Pre-Aksumite' state. New evidence for the rise of Aksum during the last centuries BC is critically evaluated. Finally, new chronological precision is provided for the decline of Aksum and the transfer of centralised political authority to more southerly regions. A new study of the ancient churches - both built and rock-hewn - which survive from this poorly-understood period emphasises once again a strong degree of continuity across periods that were previously regarded as distinct. David W. Phillipson is Emeritus Professor of African Archaeology and former Director of the University Museum of Archaeology &amp; Anthropology, Cambridge. In 2014 he was made an Associate Fellow of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences. Published in association with the British Institute in Eastern Africa. Ethiopia: Addis Ababa University Press

Foundations of an African Civilisation: Aksum and the northern Horn, 1000 BC - AD 1300 (Eastern Africa Series)

Literature & Fiction

World Literature

James Currey

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Phillipson, David W.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Phillipson, David W.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Phillipson, David W.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Ancient Churches of Ethiopia

African Archaeology (Cambridge World Archaeology)

African Archaeology (Cambridge World Archaeology)

African Archaeology (Cambridge World Archaeology)

African Archaeology (Cambridge World Archaeology)

Archaeology in Africa and in Museums

African Archaeology (Cambridge World Archaeology (Paperback))

African Archaeology

The Later Prehistory of Eastern and Southern Africa

Foundations of an African Civilisation: Aksum and the northern Horn, 1000 BC - AD 1300 (Eastern Africa Series)