Home Region:  East Africa (Africa)

Axum I

149 BCE 349 CE
EQ 2020  et_aksum_emp_1 / EtAksm1
Preceding Entity: Add one more here.
[continuity; Pre-Aksumite Period] [continuity]   Update here

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.
270 CE 340 CE Himyar I (ye_himyar_1)    [continuity]

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  General Description  
An empire with Aksum as its capital dominated the northern highlands of Ethiopia from the first to the seventh century CE. ". [1] This empire was characterised by a combination of indigenous Ethiopian and South Arabian culture. ." [2] Between about 150 and 270 CE, Aksum extended its control to South Arabia, including the Yemen Coastal Plain or Plateau, the northwestern region of modern Yemen that lies between the Red Sea and the Yemeni Mountains.
Without Arabian and Nubian territories, the population of the Aksumite empire has been estimated as "at the outside half a million". [3] As for Aksum itself, during the first four centuries CE its core area covered between 80 and 100 hectares; [4] assuming 50-200 people per hectare, this would mean a population of between 4,500 and 200,000, at least in the core area. The empire was governed by a single ruler (negus) and his retinue; according to some sources, the administrative system was relatively poorly developed. [5] Provinces were ruled indirectly through regional rulers [6] who sent tribute. [7]

[1]: (Hatke 2013) George Hatke. 2013. Aksum and Nubia: Warfare, Commerce, and Political Fictions in Ancient Northeast Africa (Institute for the Study of the Ancient World). New York University Press.

[2]: (Ricard 2004, 16) Alain Ricard. The Languages & Literatures of Africa: The Sands of Babel. James Currey Publishers. Oxford.

[3]: (Munro-Hay 1991, 166) Stuart C Munro-Hay. 1991. Aksum: An African Civilisation of Late Antiquity. Edinburgh University Press.

[4]: (Curtis 2017, 106) Matthew C Curtis. Aksum, town and monuments. Siegbert Uhlig. David L Appleyard. Steven Kaplan. Alessandro Bausi. Wolfgang Hahn. eds. 2017. Ethiopia: History, Culture and Challenges. Michigan State University Press. East Lansing.

[5]: (Kobishanov 1981, 385) Y M. Kobishanov. Aksum: political system, economics and culture, first to fourth century. Muḥammad Jamal al-Din Mokhtar. ed. 1981. UNESCO General History of Africa. Volume II. Heinemann. UNESCO. California.

[6]: (Kobishanov 1981, 384) Y M. Kobishanov. Aksum: political system, economics and culture, first to fourth century. Muḥammad Jamal al-Din Mokhtar. ed. 1981. UNESCO General History of Africa. Volume II. Heinemann. UNESCO. California.

[7]: (Falola 2002, 58) Toyin Falola. 2002. Key Events in African History: A Reference Guide. Greenwood Publishing Group. Westport.

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.
Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1) was in:
 (150 CE 269 CE) Yemeni Coastal Plain
Home NGA: Yemeni Coastal Plain

General Variables
Identity and Location Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Utm Zone 37 P 149 BCE  349 CE
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Utm Zone 38 P 149 BCE  349 CE
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Original Name 149 BCE  349 CE
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Capital 149 BCE  349 CE
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Alternative Name 149 BCE  349 CE
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Alternative Name 149 BCE  349 CE
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Alternative Name 149 BCE  349 CE
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Alternative Name 149 BCE  349 CE
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Alternative Name 149 BCE  349 CE
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Temporal Bounds Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Peak Years
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Duration
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Political and Cultural Relations Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Suprapolity Relations 298 CE
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Suprapolity Relations 149 BCE  349 CE
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Suprapolity Relations 149 BCE  349 CE
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Succeeding Entity EtAksm2 149 BCE  349 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity continuity 149 BCE  349 CE
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Succeeding Entity
270 CE 340 CE
Himyar I (ye_himyar_1)   [continuity] 
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Preceding Entity
continuity; Pre-Aksumite Period [continuity]    Update here
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Degree of Centralization 149 BCE  349 CE
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Degree of Centralization 149 BCE  349 CE
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Degree of Centralization 149 BCE  349 CE
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Language Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Religion Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Religious Tradition South Arabian Religions 149 BCE  349 CE
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Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Population of the Largest Settlement 149 BCE  349 CE
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Polity Territory 149 BCE  349 CE
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Polity Population 149 BCE  349 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Settlement Hierarchy 149 BCE  349 CE
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Religious Level 149 BCE  349 CE
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Military Level 149 BCE  349 CE
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Administrative Level 149 BCE  349 CE
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Professions Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Professional Soldier 149 BCE BCE
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Professional Soldier 1 CE 199 CE
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Professional Soldier 200 CE 319 CE
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Professional Soldier 320 CE 349 CE
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Professional Priesthood 149 BCE  349 CE
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Professional Military Officer 149 BCE 320 CE
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Professional Military Officer 320 CE 349 CE
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Occupational Complexity 149 BCE  349 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Specialized Government Building 149 BCE  349 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat 149 BCE  349 CE
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Law Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Judge 149 BCE  349 CE
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149 BCE  349 CE
Court 149 BCE  349 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Market 149 BCE  349 CE
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Irrigation System 149 BCE  349 CE
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Food Storage Site 149 BCE  349 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System 149 BCE  349 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Road 149 BCE  349 CE
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Port 149 BCE  349 CE
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Canal Unknown Suspected 149 BCE  349 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Mines or Quarry 149 BCE  349 CE
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Information / Writing System Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Written Record 149 BCE  349 CE
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Script 149 BCE  349 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Scientific Literature 149 BCE  349 CE
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Sacred Text Unknown Suspected 149 BCE  349 CE
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Religious Literature 149 BCE  349 CE
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Practical Literature 149 BCE  349 CE
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Philosophy 149 BCE  349 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification 149 BCE  349 CE
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History 149 BCE  349 CE
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Fiction 149 BCE  349 CE
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Calendar 149 BCE  349 CE
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Information / Money Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Token Unknown Suspected 149 BCE  349 CE
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Precious Metal 149 BCE  349 CE
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Paper Currency Absent 149 BCE  349 CE
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Indigenous Coin 149 BCE 249 CE
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Indigenous Coin 250 CE 349 CE
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Foreign Coin 149 BCE  349 CE
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Article 149 BCE  349 CE
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Information / Postal System Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Postal Station Unknown Suspected 149 BCE  349 CE
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General Postal Service Unknown Suspected 149 BCE  349 CE
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Courier 149 BCE  349 CE
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Information / Measurement System Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Wooden Palisade 149 BCE  349 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared Unknown Suspected 149 BCE  349 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared 149 BCE  349 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position Unknown Suspected 149 BCE  349 CE
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Modern Fortification Absent 149 BCE  349 CE
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Moat Unknown Suspected 149 BCE  349 CE
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Fortified Camp Unknown Suspected 149 BCE  349 CE
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Earth Rampart 149 BCE  349 CE
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Ditch Unknown Suspected 149 BCE  349 CE
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Complex Fortification Unknown Suspected 149 BCE  349 CE
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Military use of Metals Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Steel 149 BCE  349 CE
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Iron 149 BCE  349 CE
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Projectiles Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Handheld weapons Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Animals used in warfare Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Armor Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Naval technology Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)
Religion Variables
Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad 149 BCE  349 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary 149 BCE  349 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic 149 BCE  349 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life 149 BCE  349 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward 149 BCE  349 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners 149 BCE  349 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted 149 BCE  349 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife 149 BCE  349 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites 149 BCE  349 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers 149 BCE  349 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain 149 BCE  349 CE
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Human Sacrifice Axum I (et_aksum_emp_1)
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Instability Data
Power Transitions