Settlement patterns

The territory controlled by the kingdom of Aksum was exceedingly diverse, with major topographic impediments to communication combining with highly varied productivity and carrying capacity, as discussed in Chapter 2 with reference to earlier times. When these factors are taken into account, the dominant impression given by current research is one of cultural continuity from at least the opening centuries of the first millennium BC (cf. Chapters 2 and 3) into Aksumite times and – with comparatively minor changes – subsequently. It is tempting to base reconstructions on circumstances and practices that have prevailed even more recently but – while such comparisons can indeed provide useful guidance to understanding ancient conditions and economies – full allowance must be made both for circumstantial changes and for limitations imposed by data-collection methodologies.

Incomplete coverage of archaeological research and publication imposes additional limitations; dated information about the farming economy is effectively restricted to the Aksum region which, because of its urban and peri-urban nature, cannot be assumed to have been typical of a wider area. Archaeological survey has thrown significant light on the changing distributions of rural settlement, but has not yet been fully exploited to illustrate any coherent pattern or patterns in economic practice overall. Important conclusions may nonetheless be drawn, particularly for the region around Aksum itself, although care should be exercised in extrapolating these conclusions more widely.