1,400-year-old church ruins — with Islamic burial — reveal changes in ancient Eritrea
Splashing waves lapped at the bustling port of Adulis, an important city on the Red Sea connecting the kingdom of Aksum, situated in the modern-day east African country of Eritrea, to its maritime trade routes.
Setting sail from Adulis, the kingdom of Aksum traded with modern-day India, Sri Lanka and China.
Over 1,300 years later, Adulis is no longer a port city nor an economic powerhouse. Rather, remnants of the city’s past importance remain buried in the ground, awaiting excavation, according to a study by Gabriele Castiglia published in the journal Antiquity on Dec. 8.
Among the excavated ruins are two churches — the eastern church and central-eastern church — dating back to the sixth and early seventh century A.D., Castiglia said. The structures reveal the gradual spread of Christianity and evolving religious customs in ancient Eritrea.
The central-eastern church, located near the city’s center, is the “largest and most elaborate Christian building” found at the archaeology site so far, Castiglia said. Photos show the 100-foot-long complex and its numerous rooms.
The structure was built in the fourth century and used as a Christian cathedral for the next 300 years, the study said. During this time, the church underwent multiple changes, including the addition of a central platform, potentially used as an altar or the base of a stairway to an upper floor. The building, however, partially collapsed in the seventh century and, despite later signs of repair, remained largely abandoned, Castiglia said.
Sometime between the 1500s and early 1700s, two people were buried in the church, excavations found. Both burials followed Islamic traditions with the bodies facing Mecca and heads resting on stone pillows. Photos show the burials with a stone placed at the feet, waist and head of the grave.
At the eastern church, excavations revealed an area for a baptismal font and a semi-circular structure with pillars, possibly indicating the building had a dome, the study said. The building’s main entrance was changed in the late seventh century and side entrances were added.
The 1,400-year-old churches went through several different architectural and religious cultural phases during their lifetimes, Castiglia said. The Islamic burials, conducted after the kingdom of Aksum fell, showed that activity in Adulis continued longer than experts previously thought.
Together, the archaeological record “points to a gradual and ongoing process of change among different peoples and cultures” in ancient Eritrea, Castiglia said.
Adulis is located in the town of Zula on the coast of the Red Sea, about 100 miles east of Asmara, Eritrea’s capital.
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