Anthropological and Archaeological Survey of the Ḥarla Related Medieval Sites in West Hararghe Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

This research reports an archaeological survey of medieval sites in the West Hararghe Zone, Oromia Region, southeastern Ethiopia, where no previous archaeological surveys have been conducted. This area was part of a medieval trade network that used the Indian Ocean trade routes, and there is a tradition that the area was inhabited by a Muslim group called Ḥarla. However, the actual state of the archaeological remains and other evidence remains unclear. Therefore, the authors conducted fieldwork at three archaeological sites in August 2023, and provided an overview of the remains and period.

The Sakate site is a newly identified urban site with a large mosque. Although it is not located along the main medieval trade route from the Gulf of Aden to the interior along the Great Rift Valley, it is a remarkable discovery. While the other two sites have been confirmed by the Oromia Culture and Tourism Bureau, no details were reported. The Hula Dheera site includes a mosque and three graves, whereas the Dhibiiftuu site is a large-scale graveyard, with several hundred graves scattered throughout the area. As these sites have not been fully explored, this report presents the first archaeological record of these sites.