This document provides an overview of ancient Ethiopian art and architecture before the Axumite period. It describes some of the earliest cave paintings in Ethiopia dated to around 400,000 years ago. It discusses the influences of South Arabian culture between 500 BC to 100 AD, including the introduction of the Sabean script. One of the oldest well-preserved buildings in Ethiopia, the Temple of Yeha built around 500 BC, is highlighted for its precision masonry constructed without mortar. Characteristics of Pre-Axumite domestic architecture are also briefly touched on before comparing ancient Ethiopian structures to examples from Egypt, Greece and Rome.

1. Ancient History of Ethiopian
Art & Architecture
Pre- Axumite Architecture
Prep. By Ephrem N.

2. Introduction
•What is history?
…We say Architecture is ‘Living
History’
HOW?

3. Introduction
• Architecture is subject to social, political, or
cultural influences. It reflects the society and
communicates the values of that society.
• With the change of the society the face of
Architecture changes too.
• Our architecture has so many stories to tell
about us. It’s our personality and our culture
which is reflected in the shelter we build.

4. ■ How Architecture evolve?
Introduction

5. ■ Agriculture vs. Architecture?
Introduction

6. Introduction
Agriculture created Architecture.
•Agriculture leads to settlement. People needed
to live where there was good land for farming.
•The tools and materials around enabled them to
build shelter/dwellings.

7. Introduction
•Farming in the Nile delta started
around 4000 B.C. and a powerful
Egyptian state developed about
2600 B.C. ,at the time the state
was able to command the labor for
such huge constructions as the
Great pyramid.

8. Pre- Axumite Architecture
•Archaeological
sites in northern
Ethiopia and the
middle east

9. •Ancient route from Axum
to Redsea
Pre- Axumite Architecture

10. •Earliest Art (example of cave painting in Ethiopia)
• a cave at Porcepic near Dire Dawa, dated at 400,000 years and
notable for its exquisitely accurate rendering of animal forms – Antelope,
Jackal and hyena are clearly identifiable
Pre- Axumite Architecture

11. Sabian or Intermediate period
(500 b.c. to 100 a.d.)
Sabean architecture

12. Pre- Axumite Architecture
•Some influences to early Ethiopian culture
• South Arabians brought with them the
Sabean syllabury, a modified version of which
is the script in which both Ge’ez and Amharic
(200 – 300 A.D.) are written.
• The techniques of carving probably originated
the early civilization in South Arabians.

13. Pre- Axumite Architecture
•Symbols of Sabian religion
“ the Disk & the Crescent”
• the decoration of this stone altar is
clearly Architectural and depicts “Axumite
type of window carpentry similar to the
patterns of the largest stales at Axum.

14. Temple of Yeha

15. Pre- Axumite Architecture
Oldest well-preserved building in
Ethiopia (built more than 2500
years ago, in Sabian times)
•The country’s earliest high
civilization
•Temple of Yeha -

16. Pre- Axumite Architecture
•Constructed with Masonry of
dressed stone.
•Consists of a single oblong
Chamber
-Area 18.5m by 15m
-height 12m
•Regular rectangular blocks of up to
3 m length were used to construct
the wall, without the use of any
mortar.

18. Basic characteristics
 The walls are smooth, with long
well-cut blocks, excellent
straightness and tightness of
joints
 Outer faces, edges and corners
are unemotionally dressed with
great precision
 The wall thikness is about 60 cm.
Pre- Axumite Architecture

19. Were they
melting the
stone?

20. Temple of Yeha
 The wall, whose total
thickness is about 60
cm, is not just a single
structure but there
are two walls
interconnected to
each other by smaller
blocks of stone which
serve as anchor.

21. Temple of Yeha

22. Temple of Yeha
 The floor is also
superbly built with 5
layers of variously
sized blocks some
measuring 1m by 50
cm, others 1m by 1m
or 50 cm by 50 cm

23. Temple of Yeha

24. The Sabean walls.
 smooth,
 long well-cut blocks,
 straight
 Tight joints
 Perfect corners
Pre- Axumite Architecture

26. Pre Axumite Domestic architecture

28. COMPARISON
History of Ethiopian Architecture
vs.
..……the other world

29. Egyptians
Great Pyramid of Khufu, Egypt,
(2600 to 2480BC)
Temple at Luxor (1408 to
1300BC) Egypt
Hatshepsuts Temple, Egypt
(1550BC)

30. The Greeks
Parthenon Greece,
477 to 438 BC

31. The Romans
The Roman Forum
(100 to 300BC)

32. The powerful kingdom of Axum
(100 to 1000 a.d.)
To be Continued
Axumite Architecture - II