The Stelae of Aksum: Monuments of Empire and Mystery

In this episode of Ethiopia's Ancient Empire: Africa's Hidden Superpower, Lucas and Luna delve into the massive stone stelae of Aksum—towering obelisks carved from single pieces of granite, some over a thousand years old. They explore how these monuments were quarried, carved, and erected using ancient techniques, what the stelae reveal about Aksumite society, religion, and engineering, and the mysterious collapse of several stelae, including the Great Stele. The conversation covers the Obelisk of Aksum, its removal to Rome by Mussolini in 1937, and its eventual return in 2005. Lucas explains the symbolic meaning of the carved windows, doors, and false floors, and how the stelae marked royal tombs. The episode also touches on the Gudit Stelae Field and recent archaeological discoveries that challenge old narratives about who built them. A natural segue into the importance of listener support keeps the show ad-free. #Aksum #Stelae #ObeliskOfAksum #GreatStele #Ezana #Mussolini #EthiopianHistory #AncientEngineering #GuditStelaeField #RoyalTombs #Ge'ez #Adulis #Archaeology #EastAfrica #UNESCO #History #FexingoHistory #Monoliths Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo