French-Ethiopian Archaeological Mission in Eastern Tigray (Ethiopia). Report on the 2020 season. The Region of Wolwalo.

The main purpose of this season’s work was to characterise the area of Wolwalo, where a group of archaeological sites had been identified during the two previous seasons (see 2017 and 2018 reports), leading us to consider the possibility of the presence of an antique town in this area. This antique town is marked by several surface concentrations of pottery often associated to visible remains (walls, buildings, graves). The surface pottery is rather homogenous, but distinct from the one at Wakarida. A first trial trench carried out in 2018 allowed us to obtain a 14C dating of this pottery assemblage between the 7th and the 9th century CE. This period marks the fall of the kingdom of Aksum. Since it remains scarcely documented, it prompted us to investigate the area. Four axes of research were conducted: • The survey of the Wolwalo area was completed in the south-east quarter of the plateau (J. Schiettecatte). • An environmental study of the plateau of Wolwalo was initiated through a geomorphological survey (N. Blond). • A geophysical survey was conducted in the area of Gra Emni, north of Wolwalo (R. Al-Khatib Alkontar & H. Reiller). • Excavations were conducted in the area of Gra Emni (D. Albukaai, M.-B. Dhorne & G. Tavernier). • The pottery material was studied by Anne Benoist