Interim remarks on newly discovered stelae in the Efrātā and Gǝdǝm woreda, North Shewa

Abstract

Megalithic sites in the Efrātā and Gǝdǝm woreda, particularly the stelae in Gādilo Medā , were first noted by Ethiopian archaeologists in 1986. Following this, in 1999 an Ethio-French team identified additional megalithic sites in the Maḥal Wanz area. However, archaeological sites described in this article were only recently discovered and prior to their survey by the present author, there was no archaeological research reported. Hence, this paper is based on archaeological prospection undertaken in and around ʾӘrgoṭәlā River as part of the study of megalithic monuments in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia which includes the Efrātā and Gǝdǝm woreda. It is intended to communicate the newly identified stelae and their artistic composition as well as the features of other archaeological sites located nearby. A total of six stelae were identified where three of these stelae are phallic and possess eight symbolic representations. The other three are devoid of special morphological or artistic compositions. Accordingly, the paper highlights the dimensions and the artistic characters of the stelae as well as the material traces and oral tradition associated with other archaeological sites prospected in the area.