Original version

BBC World Service East Asia

The Forum

Documentaries

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Discover world history, culture and ideas with today’s leading experts

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service News Internet

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

The Forum: The Kingdom of Aksum: Africa's trading empire

Stelae Park at Aksum

17/12/2020 GMT

The Kingdom of Aksum: Africa's trading empire

BBC World Service - The Forum, The Kingdom of Aksum: Africa's trading empire

An ancient state in the Horn of Africa that is famed for its monumental stelae structures

Famous for its monumental stelae structures, archaeologists are beginning to discover more about the lives of the people who lived in this ancient state in the Horn of Africa.

At its height, the Aksumite Empire extended across the northern Ethiopian and Eritrean highlands, and even included parts of Sudan, Somalia and modern-day Yemen. From the first century BC to the seventh or eighth centuries AD it was one of the most important trading hubs in north-east Africa. It was also one of the earliest states in the world to adopt Christianity. In fact the Persian prophet Mani named the Aksumite Empire as one of the “four great kingdoms on Earth” together with Persia, Rome and China. But despite its power and reputation, we’re only now beginning to understand more about the lives of the people who lived there.

Joining Bridget Kendall to discuss the Aksumite Empire and its legacy are Helina Solomon Woldekiros, Assistant Professor of Archaeology at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri; Felege-Selam Solomon Yirga, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Tennessee; and Dr. Niall Finneran, Reader in Historical Archaeology and Heritage Studies at the University of Winchester in the UK. He is author of The Archaeology of Ethiopia.

Produced by Jo Impey for BBC World Service.

Image: 4th century stelae in Aksum, Ethiopia
Image credit: Arterra / Marica van der Meer / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Forum

The Kingdom of Aksum: Africa's trading empire

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service East Asia

About BBC World Service