Cradle of Civilization in the Ethiopian highlands
- Thread starter Hendric
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Category:Crops originating from Ethiopia - Wikipedia
It certainly looks possible, but I believe all of these were domesticated after civilisation started emerging in Mesopotamia and Egypt. In terms of landscape, Ethiopia often has a lack of firewood and a lot of conditions that favour semi-nomadic lifestyles and nothing like Egypt or Mesopotamia or China where a king can control irrigation, which is probably why there were no centralised states in the region before 1000 BC or so.
twovultures
Donor
I would argue this is OTL, with the domestication of teff supporting populations that created unique monumental architecture since ancient times and projected power internationally by contesting control for the vital Red Sea trade route. Sure, Ethiopia is culturally influenced by neighbors and invaders, but this is true of every other 'center of civilization' as well. And where Egypt and Mesopotamia largely assimilated to the culture of Arab conquerors* Ethiopia did not.
*I am aware that I am greatly simplifying here thank you.
*I am aware that I am greatly simplifying here thank you.
When would you say Ethiopian civilization started? Because from what I can see it started a bit too late to be considered a cradle, while we don't know for sure yet it's possible that Ethiopia experience 2 whole ethnic shifts between 2500 BCE to 1000 BCE with spread of Cushitic and subsequently Ethio-Semitic.
twovultures
Donor
I guess I see a "cradle" as the rise of an independent agriculture, rather than necessarily a civilization. For me, Mesopotamia being a cradle of civilization begins with the rise of agriculture in 8,000 BC, not with the rise of cities in 4,000 BC.
The ethiopians domesticated ensete (false banana). very drought resistant. it allows for the highest rural densities in the world at 499 people per hectare. Maybe an earlier domestication of this would spur a cradle?
en.m.wikipedia.org
Ensete - Wikipedia
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according to wiki it had alot of closed-canopy forests in the wetter parts so wouldnt that be a source of firewood? and im pretty sure the highlands were mostly populated by sedentary farming kingdoms rather than semi nomadic people whom were mostly in the south and east.Category:Crops originating from Ethiopia - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
It certainly looks possible, but I believe all of these were domesticated after civilisation started emerging in Mesopotamia and Egypt. In terms of landscape, Ethiopia often has a lack of firewood and a lot of conditions that favour semi-nomadic lifestyles and nothing like Egypt or Mesopotamia or China where a king can control irrigation, which is probably why there were no centralised states in the region before 1000 BC or so.
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they could domesticate the vulturine guinaefowl as a source of protein. The african wild hog and bush pig are also native to the highlands. idk if the last two can be domesticated.
en.m.wikipedia.org
en.m.wikipedia.org
en.m.wikipedia.org
Vulturine guineafowl - Wikipedia
Giant forest hog - Wikipedia
Bushpig - Wikipedia
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Maybe, but IOTL that seems never to have occurred to anybody there. Maybe the bedrock is too close to the surface, and too hard, for terracing to be practical?
The lack of firewood is a more modern problem, caused by the massive deforestation in the 80s and 90s. And while it's true that the region lacks proper irrigation, it's possible for a system to emerge naturally. There are a massive amount of rivers, not to mention the large annual rainfall in the highlands, so a system of irrigation & terraced agriculture could form naturally and thrive.
In all honesty the only issue I see that hinders the development of large agricultural communities and civilizations so early are the consistent environmental issues. Droughts are common, not to mention the swarms of locusts and other pests that frequent the region every few years. But I do believe those barriers could be overcome eventually.
The firewood issue was severe enough that it prevented the imperial Ethiopian court from staying in one place for more than a few years, although that was more a hindrance to urbanisation.
A reverse migration from OTL into Yemen would be natural
Not really, the migration of the court was more of a political development than anything else, due to the independent minded nature of the local lords and governors throughout the nation. Out of all the environmental issues that affected the itinerant court, the droughts and pests were more of an issue than anything else, as the Court was known to burn through local food storage and often left provinces vulnerable to starvation.
from wiki:
Ethiopians used terraced hillside cultivation for erosion prevention and irrigation. A 19th century European described Yeha: