Editing Tigray Region (section)

=== 1st to 10th century AD ===
[[File:Stelenpark in Axum 2010.JPG|thumb|Axum Stele in the city [[Axum]].]]
[[File:Ousas.jpg|thumb|Aksumite gold coins.]]

The Kingdom of Aksum was a trading empire rooted in northern Ethiopia.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xeJMAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA48|title=The Oxford Companion to Archaeology|date=2012 |publisher=Oxford University Press|page=48|author=Phillipson, David|isbn=978-0-19-973578-5|editor=Neil Asher Silberman}}</ref> It existed from approximately 100–940 AD, growing from the proto-Aksumite [[Iron Age]] period c. 4th century BC to achieve prominence by the 1st century AD.

According to the ''[[Book of Axum]]'', Axum's first capital, Mazaber, was built by Itiyopis, son of Cush.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QWBPAQAAIAAJ|title=Africa Geoscience Review|year=2003|publisher=Rock View International|page=366|access-date=10 July 2017|archive-date=27 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327025552/https://books.google.com/books?id=QWBPAQAAIAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> The capital was later moved to [[Axum|Aksum]] in northern Ethiopia.

The Empire of Aksum, at its height, at times extended across most of present-day [[Eritrea]], Ethiopia, [[Djibouti]], Sudan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The capital city of the empire was [[Axum]], now in northern Ethiopia. Today a smaller community, the city of Axum was once a bustling metropolis and a cultural and economic hub. Two hills and two streams lie on the east and west expanses of the city; perhaps providing the initial impetus for settling this area. Along the hills and plain outside the city, the Aksumites had cemeteries with elaborate grave stones, which are called [[stelae]], or [[obelisk]]s. Other important cities included [[Yeha]], [[Hawulti-Melazo]], [[Matara, Eritrea|Matara]], [[Adulis]], and [[Qohaito]], the last three of which are now in Eritrea. By the reign of [[Endubis]] in the late 3rd century, Aksum had begun minting its own currency and was named by [[Mani (prophet)|Mani]] as one of the four great powers of his time, along with [[History of China|China]] and the [[Sassanid Empire|Sassanid]] and [[Roman Empire|Roman]] empires. It converted to [[Christianity]] in 325 or 328 under [[Ezana of Axum|King Ezana]] and was the first state to use the image of [[crucifix|the cross]] on its coins.<ref>{{cite web |title=Aksum |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/15 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |language=en |access-date=26 December 2019 |archive-date=28 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220828225403/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/15 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mountain Constantines: The Christianization of Aksum and Iberia1 |url=http://users.clas.ufl.edu/sterk/junsem/haas.pdf |website=users.clas.ufl.edu |access-date=10 July 2017 |archive-date=29 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180329065343/http://users.clas.ufl.edu/sterk/junsem/haas.pdf }}</ref>
[[File:19th cent Tigray map.png|thumb|Handtke's map is 39 cm wide and 66 cm tall, and is printed on paper that has been bonded to fabric. The scale is approximately 1:5,600,000; relief is shown by short lines representing slope aspect and a general sense of steepness (hachures).The work was created in one of the few stronger cartographic publishing houses in 19thcentury Germany, managed by Carl Flemming (1806–1878). Flemming was aided by cartographer Friedrich Handtke (1815–1879), who worked on nearly every map assignment for the firm.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Composite: NO Afrika. |url=https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~33543~1171029:Composite--NO-Afrika- |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=www.davidrumsey.com |language=en |archive-date=12 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212061136/https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~33543~1171029:Composite--NO-Afrika- |url-status=live }}</ref>]]