Debre Gergis
Däbrä Gärgəs
ደብረ ገርግስ (Tigrigna name)
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Project name:
PolART: Polish Archaeological Research in Tigray. Debre Gergis and the nearby Ancient Routes System
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Type of site:
Aksumite church(?)
Location:
Ethiopia
Eastern Tigray
Hawzen (historical province)Dating:
Classic Aksumite (AD 130/190–360/400) to Late Aksumite (AD 550/610–800/850)
Most interesting finds:
– Stone pillars
– A 6m-high stela
History of research:
Investigated by the PCMA mission in:
2020–
Type of research:
Excavations and survey
Directors:
Michela Gaudiello
Co-operating institutions:
– Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw
– Authority for Research and Conservation of the Cultural Heritage (ARCCH) in Addis Ababa
– Tigray Culture and Tourism Bureau in Mekelle
Additional information:
The site was first visited by Biagio Pace in 1935. He reported about the Aksumite ruins to Carlo Conti Rossini, who himself never visited the site. However, it was upon his suggestion and request, that Antonio Mordini went to Debre Gergis in the course of his surveys in Tigray (1939–1944). Mordini described and photographed the ruins near the church of Endā Qirqos. He reported about the high stele, several smaller ones, and vast Aksumite graveyards.
In the 2007, Wolbert Smidt conducted ethno-historical research in the area of Debre Gergis.
Description of the site and research:
The first season of archaeological investigations at Debre Gergis will take place in the spring of 2020. The work will focus on the excavation on the southern side of the mound (measuring c. 30m by 20m) where the stone pillars are visible protruding to the surface.
At the same time, a survey will be carried out in the environs of the ruins and the stele in order to map and document the surface remains and possibly identify interesting spots for further research.
07-2019 PCMA Seminar – New research project in Ethiopia
In the media:
04-2020 Polish Scientists Discover 1,000-Year-Old Church Walls in Ethiopia
Gaudiello, M. (2020). The first short visit of PCMA in Tigray (Northern Ethiopia). An Overview of the activities and an attempt to date the archaeological sites. Nyame Akuma: Bulletin of the Society of Africanist Archaeologists 94, 4–10.
Selected site bibliography:
Fattovich R. (2019). From Community to State: The Development of the Aksumite Polity (Northern Ethiopia and Eritrea), c. 400 BC-AD 800, Journal of Archaeological Research, 249–285.
Smidt W. (2007). Ein wenig erforschter aksumitischer Platz in Däbrä Gärgiš, cAddi Dacəro, Təgray, Aethiopica 10, 106–114.
Mordini, A. (1944–1945). Informazioni preliminari sui risultati delle mie ricerche in Etiopia dal 1939 al 1944, Rassegna di Studi Etiopici 4, 145–154.
Conti Rossini C. (1938). Necropoli Musulmana ed antica chiesa cristiana presso Uogrì Haribà nell’Enderta, Rivista degli Studi Orientali 17, 399–408.
Gallery:
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1. Sandstone pillars located on the northern side of Debre Gergis mound or ruins, viewed from the southwest / Filary z piaskowca w północnej części wzgórza Debre Gergis, widok z płd-zach. (Fot. M. Gaudiello)
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2. Dark-grey stone stele about 150 m west of the church ruins, viewed from the southeast / Stela z ciemnoszarego kamienia ok. 150 m na zachód od ruin kościoła, widok z płd-wsch. (Fot. PCMA UW/ M. Mackiewicz)
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3. Debre Gergis ruins before excavations, aerial view / Ruiny w Debre Gergis przed eksploracją, widok z góry (Fot. PCMA UW/ M. Mackiewicz)
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4. Overview of the Debre Gergis ruins and Enda Č̣ǝrqos church in the background / Widok na ruiny Debre Gergis, na drugim planie kościół Enda Č̣ǝrqos (Fot. PCMA UW/ M. Mackiewicz)
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5. Stone pillars and Enda Č̣ǝrqos church in the background, viewed from the south / Kamienne filary i kościół Enda Č̣ǝrqos, widok z południa (Fot. PCMA UW/ M. Mackiewicz)
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6. Day before the excavation: Michela Gaudiello, Piotr Zakrzewski and Guesh Tsehaye (representative of TCTB) discussing the location of trenches; next to them, one of the two landowners, Haftay G/her, and young visitors / W przeddzień wykopalisk Michela Gaudiello, Piotr Zakrzewski i Guesh Tsehaye (przedstawiciel lokalnych władz starożytności) planują lokalizację wykopów; obok jeden z dwóch właścicieli ziemi, Haftay G/her i młodzi zwiedzający (Fot. PCMA UW/ M. Mackiewicz)
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7. Agata Garzka, Legesse G/Meskel and Abadi G/Mariam, the second landowner, excavating Trench 1-West / Agata Garzka, Legesse G/Meskel i Abadi G/Mariam, drugi właściciel ziemi pracują w wykopie 1-West (Fot. PCMA UW/ M. Mackiewicz)
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8. Kibrom Kebede, head of Archaeological Department at Mekelle University, after the training session of the Total Station use with team members / Kibrom Kebede, kierownik Zakładu Archeologii na Uniwersytecie w Mekelle po zajęciach z zastosowania Total Station oraz członkowie misji (Fot. PCMA UW/ M. Mackiewicz)
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9. The first day of PolART excavation: team members with the first five workers / Ekipa PolART w piewszym dniu wykopalisk wraz z pierwszymi pięcioma robotnikami: in the rear row / z tyłu: Maksym Mackiewicz (PCMA UW), Kibrom Kebede (Mekelle University); in the front row / z przodu: Tsegabu G/ntase, Dr. Michela Gaudiello (PCMA UW), Netsanet G/medhin, Aleksandra Fronczak (UW), Agata Gaszka (UJ), Piotr Zakrzewski (PCMA UW), Sisay Degu (driver), Guesh Tsehaye (representative of Tigray Culture & Tourism Bureau, TCTB) central row; Abadi G/mariam, Tsegay Hailemariam, Legesse G/Meskel, Wosenseged Kidane (representative of Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage, ARCCH) (Fot. PCMA UW/ M. Mackiewicz)
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10. Piotr Zakrzewski and Michela Gaudiello in Debre Gergis (Fot. PCMA UW/ M. Mackiewicz)
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11. Maksym Mackiewicz and Michela Gaudiello discussing potsherds collected during the survey / Maksym Mackiewicz i Michela Gaudiello dyskutują o ceramic znalezionej podczas surveyu (Fot. PCMA UW)
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12. Michela Gaudiello during an interview with Dimtsi Weyane television / Michela Gaudiello podczas wywiadu dla telewizji Dimtsi Weyane (Fot. PCMA UW)
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13. Kibrom Kebede, Netsanet G/mehdin and Aleksandra Fronczak cleaning wall 1 in Trench 1-E . 13. Kibrom Kebede, Netsanet G/mehdin i Aleksandra Fronczak czyszczą mur 1 w wykopie 1-E (Fot. PCMA UW)
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14. Maksym Mackiewicz and his young friends while operating the drone / Maksym Mackiewicz pokazuje dzieciom obsługe drona (Fot. PCMA UW/ M. Mackiewicz)
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15. Last day of excavation, from the left / Ostatni dzień wykopalisk; od lewej: Hailay Berhe, Brhane G/her, Legesse G/Meskel, Ametemariam Atsbha, Mulugeta Berhe, Abadi G/Mariam, Makelesh Teka, Ngsti Weldeselassie, Ngsti G/her, Netsanet G/mehdin, Ashenafi Tsegay, Tsegabu G/nsat, Michela Gaudiello and Maksym Mackiewicz (PCMA), Wolseseged Kidane (ARCCH) Guesh Tsehaye (TCTB), Kindeya Hailesellasie, Kibrom Negash and Nebeyat Teka (students MU), Brhan Mezgebe (Mekelle), Agata Gaszka (JU), Kibrom Kebede (MU), Sisay Degu (Fot. PCMA UW)