Axumite Agriculture: The Crops That Fed an Empire

This episode explores the agricultural foundation of the Kingdom of Axum, focusing on the crops, farming techniques, and irrigation systems that sustained one of antiquity's great civilizations. Lucas and Luna discuss the cultivation of teff, sorghum, and emmer wheat in the Ethiopian highlands, the use of terraced hillsides and dams like the Mai Shum, and the role of the monsoon rains in the fertile Tigray region. They touch on the importance of the Arabian frankincense trade for soil enrichment, the introduction of cotton from India, and how Axum's agricultural surplus fueled its military campaigns and long-distance trade. The episode also examines recent archaeological findings from the site of Yeha and the debate over whether environmental degradation contributed to Axum's decline. Specific terms include Ge'ez, Adulis, Negus, Endubis, Frumentius, Cosmas Indicopleustes, and the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. #Axum #Agriculture #Teff #Sorghum #EmmerWheat #Tigray #Yeha #MaiShum #Adulis #Periplus #CosmasIndicopleustes #Endubis #Frumentius #GeEz #Monsoon #Trade #AncientHistory #FexingoHistory #KingdomOfAxum #AksumiteEmpire Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo