Chapter 2 - The Archaeological Survey of Betä Ǝsraʾel MonasticCentres

Summary

One of the central endeavours of the research on which this book is based wasto locate and examine the remains of Betä Ǝsraʾelmonastic centres, and through a study of Betä Ǝsraʾelmonastic material culture, better understand this monastic movement. Thecompounds which served religious communities, as complexes shaped tofacilitate their way of life and embody their ideology, are a source ofcentral importance for understanding the nature of these differentcommunities. This is especially true in cases, such as this one, where thecommunity itself is no longer present in situ and writtendescriptions of its way of life are not detailed. The material remains ofsuch establishments can often shed light on issues such as the time in whichthey were active, the size of the community residing in them, the practicesit observed, its religious affiliation, its means of livelihood, andservices rendered to the laity. A comparison between different religiousestablishments can highlight regional variations and differences between theway of life of different religious communities. And a comparison betweensuch establishments from different periods can shed light on changes in theway of life of the religious communities over time.

In my research, nine Betä Ǝsraʾel monastic sites weresurveyed and three others viewed from afar and hence, pinpointed withaccuracy (map 2.1). Eight Betä Ǝsraʾel sites that werenot, as far as is known, home to Betä Ǝsraʾel monkswere also surveyed, and one other viewed from afar. The information obtainedenables the examination, for the first time, of BetäƎsraʾel monastic material culture, based not only oneyewitness accounts, but also on the actual material remains and thegeographical setting of the monastic centres.

Research in an Archaeological Terra incognita

When undertaking the archaeological exploration of a site, it is normalpractice to rely on past research as a frame of reference, as a means tolocate relevant sites, understand their setting, and shed light on the findsuncovered within them. In the case of the regions previously inhabited bythe Betä Ǝsraʾel, this is not so simple: apart from thetown of Gondär and its surroundings, a few localities along theshores of Lake Ṭana, and the region of Tǝgray, these regionsare almost completely unexplored archaeologically.