Figure 1
The project area in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia – dark blue (by the author).
Figure 2
The Christians, Muslims, and local religious groups in Medieval Ethiopia (after Kelly, 2020).
Figure 3
Figurative summary of missions discussed in the article.
Appendix
Inventory of the major figures mentioned in the article.
| S.NO | SUBJECT | COUNTRY | PROFESSION | TIMELINE | PROJECT AREA | TYPE OF SITES/FIELD OF STUDY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travelers, explorers and experts from allied fields | ||||||
| 1 | Francisco Alvarez | Portugal | Missionary | 1520s | Northern and Central Highlands | Christian sites |
| 2 | Theophile Lefebvre | France | Traveler | 1840s | Southeast Wollo | Megalithic |
| 3 | Antonio Cecchi | Italian | Explorer | 1878 | Shewa-Ankober, Debre Berhan | Megalithic |
| 4 | Paul Soleille | France | Traveler and Trader | 1882 | Shewa – Debre Berhan | Megalithic |
| 5 | Isenberg and Krapf | British | Travelers | 1840s | Central Highlands | Historical |
| 6 | Dr. Domenico Brielli | Italian | Physician | 1913–1933/4 | South Wollo | Historical |
| 7 | Sir William Cornwallis Harris | British | Explorer | 1841–43 | North Shewa | Historical and Cultural Landscapes |
| 8 | Donald Levine | American | Sociologist | 1958–1960 | Shewa -Menz | Anthropological |
| 9 | Volker Stitz | German | Geographer | 1960s | Central Highlands- Shewa and Wollo | Historical geography |
| Preliminary archaeological interventions | ||||||
| 1 | Emperor Menelek II’s | Ethiopia | Public- Amateurs | 1880s | Central Highlands- Shewa and Wollo | Church and Royal Camp ruins |
| 2 | Cherinet, Kebede, Tekle | Ethiopia | History, Heritage, and Archaeology experts | 1985 & 1988; 1996, 1986 | Ifat, Tegulet-Bulga | Megalithic and Islamic sites |
| 3 | Francis Anfray | France | Archaeologist | 1964, 1966, 1980 | Menz and Debre Berhan area | Megalithic; Church and Royal Camp ruins |
| 4 | Bertrand Hirsch | France | Historian-Archaeologist | 1992, 1993, 1994 | č̣aqata (Borâna, Wâllo) | Churches |
| 5 | BertrandPoissonnier | France | Archaeologist | 2000 | Fäqi Däbbis | Islamic sites |
| 6 | Mengesha Retie | Historian | 2005, 2010 | Wäräilu | Churches and Royal Camp ruins | |
| 7 | Deresse Ayenachew | Ethiopia | Historian | 2006 | Central Highlands- Shewa and Wollo | Royal Camps |
| 8 | Ashenafi Girma | Ethiopia | Archaeologist | 2007–2008 | Makana-Sellase | Church ruins |
| 9 | François-Xavier Fauvelle | Franco-Ethiopian | Archaeologist-Historian | 2008 | Dessie area | Megalithic sites and collections |
| 10 | Gashaw Belay | Ethiopia | Archaeologist | 2015 | Southeast Wollo | Hypogeum |
| Major archaeological undertakings | ||||||
| 1 | Marie-Laure Derat & Anne-Marie Jouquand | Franco-Ethiopian | Historian- Archaeologist | 1997–2001 | Menz-Shewa | Churches and Royal Camp ruins (Gabriel) |
| 2 | François-Xavier Fauvelle | Franco-Ethiopian | Historian- Archaeologist | 2000–2008 | Ifat | Islamic sites |
| 3 | François-Xavier Fauvelle and Bertrand Poissonnier | Franco-Ethiopian | Historian- Archaeologist | 1997–2006 | North Shewa-South Wollo | Megalithic sites (Shay culture) |
| Recent developments | ||||||
| 1 | Alebachew Belay Birru | Ethiopia | Archaeologist | 2016–present | Central Highlands | Megalithic sites |