The Fall of Axum: Climate, Trade, and the Rise of Zagwe

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the decline of the Aksumite Empire, moving beyond the familiar narrative of external invasion. They examine how a combination of climate change—specifically prolonged droughts in the 7th and 8th centuries—shifted agricultural patterns and weakened the state's economic base. The conversation also delves into the disruption of Red Sea trade routes following the rise of Islam, which redirected commerce away from Adulis. Lucas explains how these pressures led to a gradual shift of political power southward into the Ethiopian highlands, culminating in the emergence of the Zagwe dynasty. The episode features specific details from the Garima Gospels, the earliest surviving illuminated Christian manuscripts, which were produced during this transitional period. Lucas discusses the enigmatic figure of Queen Gudit, whose destructive raids are recorded in oral tradition but remain archaeologically elusive. The hosts also touch on the decline of Aksumite coinage and the eventual loss of the Ge'ez language as a spoken vernacular. This is a story of resilience and transformation, not simple collapse. #Axum #AksumiteEmpire #ZagweDynasty #QueenGudit #GarimaGospels #ClimateChange #RedSeaTrade #Adulis #Ge'ez #EthiopianHistory #LateAntiquity #EarlyMedieval #History #FexingoHistory #Decline #Drought #TradeRoutes #Abyssinia Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo