ʾAdulis
Francesca Panini
Names
አዱሊስ፡↗ normalized: ʾAdulis↗ alt: the arbour of the Adulitae↗ alt: ገበዛ፡↗ normalized: Gabazā↗ alt: Adulitae ↗
Epiphanius (listing nine kingdoms of the 'Indians', he refers to the Adulites other then to the Aksumites)
SourceThe geographical lists of the Egyptian 18th dynasty (ca. 1450 B.C. )
Sourceአዱሊስ፡gez
alt: the arbour of the Adulitaeen
alt: ገበዛ፡gez
alt: Adulitae la
Epiphanius (listing nine kingdoms of the 'Indians', he refers to the Adulites other then to the Aksumites)
Sourcealt: WDTT
The geographical lists of the Egyptian 18th dynasty (ca. 1450 B.C. )
SourceLocation
20 stades from the actual port.
The ancient site of ʾAdulis is located in the coastal plain of the Gulf of Zulā, approx. 40 km (km) .Entered as 40 km to the south of Māssāwā↗ , at the northen side of the river Ḥaddās↗ and at about 4 km (km) .Entered as 4 km from the coast.
History
history: ʾAdulis was the main port of ʾAksum↗ during the zenith of the Aksumite Empire. This port is mentioned in numerous foreign reports and played a key role in maintaining trade contacts with other powers of the time. The city probably lay some distance (20 stades) from the actual port. According to Pliny, it was a large centre of trade founded by slaves from Egypt who run away from their masters. The trade of ʾAdulis with other centres is recounted by the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, which reports lists of imports and exports. Cosmas Indicopleustes offers maps that illustrate some characteristics of ʾAdulis. Research has shown that ʾAdulis was a sizeable town and archeological excavations have found traces of an ancient prehistoric settlement beneath the Aksumite town. How ʾAdulis was destroyed is not certain yet. It was traditionally claimed that it was destroyed by an Arab expedition in 640 AD however, while traces of fire were found, the expedition was said to be a failure.
Secondary Bibliography
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Fattovich, R. and S. Munro-Hay 2003. ‘Adulis’, in S. Uhlig, ed., Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, I (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2003), 104a–105b.
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Smith, W. 1854. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854). item s.v. Adu'le or Adu'lis
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Blake, R. P. and H. de Vis 1934. Epiphanius de Gemmis. The Old Georgian Version and the Fragments of the Armenian Version. And the Coptic-Sahidic Fragments. (London: Christophers, 1934).
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Huntingford, G. W. B. 1980. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, by an unknown author. With some Extracts from Agatharkhidēs ‘On the Erythraean Sea’, tr. G. W. B. Huntingford, Hakluyt Society, Second Series, 151 (London: The Hakluyt Society, 1980).
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Pliny the Elder n.d. The Natural History, ed. J. Bostock.
Other
2017-06-30T10:54:11Z
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