First Archaeological Insight from Fedis

Islamic archaeology in Ethiopia has until recently been understudied, despite the religion’s enduring influence in shaping the country’s cultural and historical landscapes over centuries. The present paper presents the preliminary results of surveys conducted by the authors in and around the site of Melka in the Fedis district located south of Harar. This was one of several Islamic polities in the southeastern region of the Rift, and the discussion is complemented with a historiographical overview of medieval sources and 19th- and early 20th-century accounts. Despite appearing regularly in the historiography of Ethiopia, sites in Fedis had not previously been examined systematically. Surveys in 2021 and 2022 identified various remains, including the ruins of a drystone defensive wall, a mosque, a monumental stepwell, storage pits and burial sites. Material culture collected from the surface by local inhabitants was also documented for the first time: the many discoveries include a carnelian-made artefact with an Arabic inscription, beads of various kinds and pottery, providing parallels with other Islamic sites in the region. This pilot research has provided new archaeological insights into Fedis, offering a foundational understanding of its historical significance and cultural heritage. It is hoped that future work will allow a better understanding of the process of Islamization and the conditions in which the medieval Muslim principalities of Ethiopia emerged.