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The Ancient Red Sea Port of Adulis, Eritrea Report of the Etritro-British Expedition, 2004-5 (Paperback)
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The Ancient Red Sea Port of Adulis, Eritrea Report of the Etritro-British Expedition, 2004-5 (Paperback)
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The port of Adulis was one of greatest significance in Antiquity.
It is best known for its role in Aksumite trade during the fourth -
seventh centuries AD. However it is also a major port of the
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a sailors' hand-book of the first
century AD. Not only did it offer a good harbour on the route to
India, but it was a source for luxuries such as ivory,
tortoise-shell and rhinoceros horn. The site was first identified
by Henry Salt, in 1810, but there have always been a number of
problems, both chronological and topographical with the
identification. Firstly, the surface pottery is late in date and
accords with Aksumitic importance rather than the Roman. Secondly,
Adulis is referred to as a port, but it is today 7 km from the sea.
The Periplus refers to an island approached by a causeway, which
suggested to some that the site was originally at Massawa, 60 km to
the north, a town which today comprises islands connected by
causeways. The work of Cosmas Indicopleustes 'Christian Topography'
written in the 6th Century AD mentions two other places, Gabaza and
Samidi, which have never been identified. The fieldwork on which
this book is based resolves these issues. It is suggested that
Roman Adulis underlies the Aksumite city. Also the pottery and
structures on the Galala hills to the south, show that this was
almost certainly 'the site of Aksumite Gabaza. However, off the
seaward end of the hills is a rock which would have been a small
island in Roman times and on it was a scatter of 1st century AD
Roman wine amphorae (Dressel 2-4). The Periplus tells us that ships
used to moor of Diodorus Island which was connected to the mainland
by a causeway, but was later moved to an island called Oreine
(hilly) for greater security. The latter can be none other than
Dese which is the only hilly island in the area and on it field
survey has located a fine harbour and an early Roman settlement.
The remaining site, Samidi, has also been found, for 7 km north of
Adulis are large stone mounds. Architectural fragments and
fragments of human bone suggest that this may have been an
impressive mausoleum, perhaps the burial place of the kings of
Adulis.
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