A team of archaeologists have found jewellery and other artefacts from the Maldives when they uncovered a forgotten ancient city in the Harlaa region thought to date back as far as the 10th century AD.
The team had found jewellery and other artefacts from Madagascar, Maldives, Yemen and China in "the rich, cosmopolitan centre for jewellery making” Harlaa.
"This discovery revolutionises our understanding of trade in an archaeologically neglected part of Ethiopia. What we have found shows this area was the centre of trade in that region," lead archaeologist Professor Timothy Insoll from the University of Exeter said.
According to BBC, the archaeologists also uncovered a 12th Century mosque which is similar to those found in Tanzania and Somaliland, saying this proves historic connections between different Islamic communities in Africa.
Ethiopia was one of the earliest places known to be inhabited by humans. In 2015 researchers discovered jaw bones and teeth in the north-west of the country dating to between 3.3m and 3.5m years old.
Signs of a lucrative trade in the region | PHOTO : BBC
