|
" Megalithic Stele Monuments of Gedeo, South Ethiopia "
Zena, Ashenafi Girma
Duff, Andrew I.
| Document Type
|
:
|
Latin Dissertation
|
| Language of Document
|
:
|
English
|
| Record Number
|
:
|
1051879
|
| Doc. No
|
:
|
TL50996
|
| Main Entry
|
:
|
Zena, Ashenafi Girma
|
| Title & Author
|
:
|
Megalithic Stele Monuments of Gedeo, South Ethiopia\ Zena, Ashenafi GirmaDuff, Andrew I.
|
| College
|
:
|
Washington State University
|
| Date
|
:
|
2019
|
| Degree
|
:
|
Ph.D.
|
| student score
|
:
|
2019
|
| Note
|
:
|
285 p.
|
| Abstract
|
:
|
This research focuses on megalithic stele monuments of the Gedeo zone, located within the Southern Nation Nationalities Peoples Region of Ethiopia. The main goals of the study were to build a broad chronology of stele site types in Gedeo and to explore materiality of the stele, their social meaning, and use through time. By analyzing materiality of stele monuments and associated material remains, as well as ethnographic and living stele monument construction in the region, the study sheds light on the timing and past social practices behind stele construction and patterns of obsidian exchange networks in southern Ethiopia over the last two millennia. Existing archaeological data suggest that the Gedeo stele landscapes represent one of the earliest megalithic stele traditions in Ethiopia, and the Gedeo stele monuments are made up of volcanic tuff. Petrographic and electron microprobe analyses show a solid connection of stele to local geological tuff exposures/sources. The study has also shown that diverse social and ritual practices—including mortuary rituals, commemorative social events, and annual/seasonal ceremonies—led to the materialization and ritualization of distinct forms and sizes of stele monuments in the region at various time and scale. Moreover, findings show that the scale of labor organization, and the time and resource investment for stele production varies by site function and changes through time. Generally, stele used as a burial marker required smaller-scale social energy investment compared to stele built for other purposes. Chemical element analysis also suggests that more than 90% of analyzed obsidian artifact samples from Gedeo stele sites came from north Kenya sources.
|
| Descriptor
|
:
|
African studies
|
|
|
:
|
Archaeology
|
| Added Entry
|
:
|
Duff, Andrew I.
|
| Added Entry
|
:
|
Washington State University
|
| |