Adulis: Literature Review and Theoretical Background Chapter 2: is from a doctoral dissertation analyzing the political economy of the ancient Red Sea port city of Adulis in the Northern Horn of Africa between 1000 BCE and 700 ACE. The research directly challenges the conventional interpretation that Adulis functioned simply as a periphery or trading post for the Aksumite empire, arguing instead that Adulis was a wealthy, independent center within its own right. To support this claim, the author uses anthropological archaeology, employing energetics analysis of architecture (labor and time costs calculated from 3D models of built forms) to assess the city's internal wealth and social stratification. Findings suggest that Adulis’s significant position in antiquity was founded on its strategic location and its established role in crucial interregional trades, notably the exchange of aromatics and war elephants. The methodology combines archaeological fieldwork with textual data and ethnohistory to build a robust case study that refutes traditional center-periphery models. Ultimately, the dissertation seeks to advance the study of African history by focusing on local complexities of power and economic units, aligning with the perspective that W.E.B. Du Bois advocated for the study of long-term Afro-European relations and mutual respect.Referenceshttps://www.adulites.com/https://scholarworks.umass.edu/entities/publication/6c43531e-c4e4-49d3-9a9b-ed7063f13765#ForYou #Ad #Eritrea #AfricanHistory #AncientAfrica #EsatAfrica #hornofafrica
Adulis: Modeling a Classical African Political Economy Chapter 1 Adulis: Modeling a Classical African Political Economy is from a 2019 doctoral dissertation by Daniel T. Habtemichael focused on modeling the local political economy of the ancient port city of Adulis in the Northern Horn of Africa between 1000 BCE and 700 ACE. The core research objective is to challenge the traditional view that Adulis was merely a periphery of the Aksumite world by proposing and testing an alternative hypothesis that Adulis was an independent political and economic center. The author uses energetics analysis of Adulis's built forms and artifacts, combined with textual and ethnohistorical evidence, to assess household wealth and the city's role in interregional trade networks, specifically those involving aromatics and war elephants. Ultimately, the dissertation aims to advance the understanding of African history on its own terms, aligning with the perspective of scholars like W.E.B. Du Bois, by thoroughly examining Adulis's complex social organization and strategic position in the Red Sea and Mediterranean trade spheres.
References
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/entities/publication/6c43531e-c4e4-49d3-9a9b-ed7063f13765
Adulis: A Center of Ancient African Political Economy
Coming soon: a multi-episode journey into one of Africa’s most influential but least understood ancient cities. Adulis, long dismissed as a minor Red Sea port, is revealed through new archaeological research to have been a thriving political and economic powerhouse.
Across this series, we unpack the groundbreaking findings of Dr Daniel T. Habtemichael’s 2019 dissertation, exploring how Adulis commanded interregional aromatics trade, exported war elephants, and connected the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean worlds. Through 3D reconstructions, artifact analysis, and conversations with leading scholars, we re-examine the Northern Horn of Africa at the height of the Classical Age.
This podcast challenges old narratives and embraces the call of W.E.B. Du Bois and others to study African history on its own terms. Prepare to discover a complex, vibrant, and globally connected Africa that history textbooks rarely show.
Adulis wasn’t peripheral. It was pivotal.
And this series will tell its story.
Eritrea, Gura Company Town: The Social History of a Wartime Planning Experiment, "focusing on the social history and planning of a company town named Gura in Eritrea, East Africa, during World War II. It examines the social dynamics, culture, and various forms of security and insecurity experienced by the American, Italian, and native employees of the Farwest Aircraft Company at this remote location. Details everything from the differential wage scale of employees to the formation of social cliques and associations within the isolated community, understanding how isolated men establish a social balance in a foreign environment while confronting issues of caste, class, and paternalism by contract.
The pivotal role of Eritrea in the Middle East War Projects carried out by Johnson, Drake & Piper, Inc. for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during 1942–1943. Eritrea emerges as a crucial hub of Allied wartime construction, where extensive rehabilitation and expansion of former Italian military installations formed the core of the effort. While additional work took place in Egypt and Arabia, the most significant projects naval bases, airfields, hospitals, and essential infrastructure were concentrated in Eritrea. Featuring a table of contents, preface, detailed descriptions, photographs, and drawings, the document vividly depicts the scale of operations and the challenging conditions faced by American civilian contractors and Army personnel as they transformed Eritrea into a strategic stronghold for the Allied campaign in North Africa and the Middle East.
An extensive historical and tactical analysis of the Indian Army's role during World War II in the Western theatre, particularly in Eritrea, East Africa, North Africa, and Italy. The primary focus is on how the colonial force adapted its pre-war "Small War" mountain techniques to engage in large-scale conventional warfare, battling both Italian and German forces. The analysis details key battles, such as those in Abyssinia, the Western Desert campaigns against Rommel, and the piercing of the Gustav and Gothic Lines in Italy. Overall, the chapter examines the operational, tactical, and technological evolution of the Indian Army under the pressures of modern conflict, demonstrating its increasing military effectiveness and crucial contribution to Allied victory.
Although Heinz Werner Schmidt’s With Rommel in the Desert focuses exclusively on the North African theatre, the roots of Rommel’s eventual defeat stretch back to the lesser-known campaign fought far to the east in Eritrea. The Battle of Keren (February to March 1941), a brutal engagement between Italian colonial forces and British Commonwealth troops, proved to be one of the decisive turning points of the entire African war.The victory at Keren ensured the collapse of Italian East Africa and brought Eritrea and the Red Sea coast under Allied control. With the fall of Keren, the Allies secured the vital Red Sea supply line, the artery that connected Britain, India, and the Middle East with the Suez Canal and the Egyptian front. This strategic success meant that, by the time Rommel and his Afrika Korps landed in Libya in early 1941, the British could safely reinforce and resupply their armies in Egypt without fear of Axis naval or air interference from East Africa.In contrast, the Axis powers lost any hope of linking their forces across Africa or threatening the Suez from the south. The defeat in Eritrea crippled Italy’s colonial ambitions and left Rommel’s forces in North Africa isolated and dependent on long, vulnerable Mediterranean supply lines, which the Royal Navy and Allied air forces steadily choked.Thus, while Schmidt’s account vividly captures Rommel’s tactical brilliance and battlefield hardships, it is the quiet triumph at Keren and the securing of Eritrea that laid the strategic groundwork for the eventual collapse of the German Italian position in North Africa. The Eritrean Front, often overlooked, was the hidden victory that made Rommel’s defeat inevitable long before the sands of El Alamein were soaked with battle.
Historical overview of Italian military activities in Eritrea during World War II, focusing primarily on the period from 1940 to 1941, when the region was isolated after Italy entered the war. One major focus is the Italian Red Sea Fleet's operations from June 1940 to April 1941, detailing naval units, engagements, and the ultimate destruction or retreat of the fleet due to overwhelming British forces and critical shortages of supplies. A second key area describes the aerial links and long-range missions conducted by the Italian Air Force using transport aircraft like the Savoia-Marchetti SM75 and SM83, including efforts to resupply the isolated East African colonies and the daring Rome-Tokyo flight in 1942.
Battle of Keren, a pivotal conflict within the East African Campaign of World War II. One source provides an in-depth historical summary of the battle, including the timeline from February 5 to April 1, 1941, the commanders, units involved, and significant casualties, ultimately concluding with a decisive Allied victory that secured routes to Asmara and Massawa. The second source is a detailed scenario design, likely for a wargame, titled "Against Enemy and Ground: Final Days of the Battle of Keren," which concentrates on the final phase of the battle from March 25–27, 1941. This scenario outlines the deployment, objectives, troop compositions (Italian and Commonwealth forces), and special rules to model the challenging, mountainous terrain and key defensive actions, such as the Italian roadblock in the Dongolaas gorge. Both texts emphasize the fierce resistance of the Italian and colonial troops against the British Commonwealth forces in the difficult Eritrean highlands.
Project 19, a secret World War II mission initiated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to aid Great Britain in its fight against the German Afrika Corps in North Africa. This project involved recruiting approximately 2,000 American civilian volunteers, often aircraft manufacturing personnel, to travel to a remote, bombed-out base in Gura, Eritrea, to repair and assemble damaged and newly delivered aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) and later the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF). The Americans faced harsh conditions, including the necessity of rebuilding the base itself and forming their own defense force, the American Volunteer Guard (AVG), while struggling with a shortage of parts due to German U-boat attacks. Project 19 was instrumental in keeping Allied aircraft flying in the theater, contributing significantly to the eventual defeat of Field Marshal Rommel's forces, and the text concludes by noting the lack of formal recognition for these volunteers by organizations like the American Legion.
Before the satellite age, one U.S. military base in East Africa quietly shaped decades of American foreign policy, Kagnew Station in Asmara, Eritrea.
The United States’ strategic dependence on Kagnew Station a massive communications and intelligence hu, led Washington to back Ethiopia’s control of Eritrea for nearly three decades. To protect the base, U.S. policymakers ignored rising local resentment, the loss of Eritrean autonomy, and warnings from diplomats on the ground.
When Ethiopia shifted toward the Soviet Union in the late 1970s, the U.S. was forced to abandon the station, just as satellite technology made it obsolete.
Discover the forgotten story of Cold War geopolitics, local resistance, and the end of America’s influence in Eritrea.
#KagnewStation #Eritrea #Ethiopia #ColdWar #USForeignPolicy #AfricanHistory #IntelligenceHistory #Asmara
Eritrea, Kagnew Station, a crucial U.S. military intelligence and communications base operational in Eritrea (then Ethiopia) during the Cold War. The first source offers a personal narrative from a reunion of former Kagnew service members, reflecting on the base's history as a major Army Security Agency (ASA) deep space listening post and exploring the enduring geopolitical impact of the U.S. presence in the Horn of Africa. The second and third sources focus specifically on STONEHOUSE, the highly specialized National Security Agency (NSA) deep space tracking facility located within Kagnew Station, detailing its construction with massive antennae, its primary mission of intercepting Soviet deep space and planetary mission telemetry from 1965 to 1975, and its eventual closure due to political instability in Ethiopia. Kagnew Station was central to the early growth of the American surveillance state and its competition with the Soviet Union in space.
Eritrea has consistently functioned as a critical strategic pivot point in modern world history despite its small size. The source details how Eritrea’s unique geography and infrastructure made it instrumental during World War II, citing the crucial Allied victory at the Battle of Keren and the massive logistical hub known as Project 19 at Gura which supported the North African campaign. Furthermore, the article explains Eritrea’s central role in the Cold War and Space Race through Kagnew Station, which served both NASA and the NSA, and its renewed importance in the post-9/11 War on Terror, highlighted by high-level visits from U.S. military leaders. Ultimately, the text asserts that Eritrea’s position commanding the southern Red Sea makes it an irreplaceable determinant of regional peace and global maritime security concerning Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia, urging the United States to recognize its enduring value as a strategic partner.
Eritrean delegation's participation at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, highlighting their diplomatic activities and policy positions.
Specifically, the texts document Foreign Minister Osman Saleh's bilateral meetings with numerous foreign officials, including those from the US, EU, Sudan, and Sweden, focusing on security, economic development, and regional stability in the Horn of Africa. Separate statements detail Eritrea’s focus on two key policy areas: gender equality and climate action. Regarding women's rights, an official explained Eritrea's progress in institutionalizing equality, citing increased political participation and reduced maternal mortality. Finally, on climate action, the Foreign Minister articulated Eritrea's ambitious conditional plan for emissions reduction and called for international financial partnership to meet its full target.
We set the record straight on Eritrea’s sovereignty and the myths surrounding Ethiopia’s “loss” of a coastline. Respecting sovereignty is not a courtesy—it’s international law. Eritrea didn’t create an injustice; it corrected one through sacrifice and struggle, reaffirmed by a UN-monitored referendum.So why do some still frame this as an “injustice” or a “problem to fix”? We break down the historical facts, expose the contradictions, and call out the revisionism and bad education fueling this narrative. Sovereignty, annexation, and history are not negotiable points in a think-tank memo—they’re the foundation of international order.Join us as we unpack how nostalgia, imperial fairy tales, and shallow analysis distort reality—and why those distortions can cost lives.
A critique of the Ethiopian government’s rhetoric regarding its demand for sovereign access to the sea, often using the metaphor of being “encapsulated” or a “geographic prisoner.” They argue that this narrative is disingenuous, historically inaccurate, and politically motivated to distract from severe domestic issues like economic crisis and internal conflict. The texts stress that Ethiopia already enjoys robust commercial access to the sea through existing, lawful agreements with its neighbors, particularly Djibouti, and that conflating ownership with access strains regional relations. Ultimately, the sources warn that the rhetoric, which has included veiled threats of force, undermines regional stability and international law, prioritizing nationalist adventurism over necessary cooperation and economic development among Horn of Africa nations.
Ethiopia’s “Potemkin Party” push for sea access is theatre, not strategy. Real growth comes from logistics & treaties, not fantasies of ports. Time for the AU to move meetings, optics, even HQ. Let Addis keep the stage; the AU must keep its soul
Ethiopia's Potemkin Party or PP's expansionist ambitions regarding access to the Red Sea
These claims are a direct threat to Eritrea's sovereignty.
Ethiopia's PP rhetoric, are "delusional" and based on historical fallacies, population statistics, and a sense of entitlement rather than international law.
Eritrea's independence and borders are firmly established through self-determination and international agreements, making its coastline non-negotiable. The sources highlight the historical context of past conflicts fueled by Ethiopia's pursuit of sea access, emphasizing the devastating human and economic costs, and reject the idea that being landlocked constitutes a "historical injustice" that permits overriding another nation's sovereignty. Ultimately, the texts assert that diplomacy and trade, not coercion or historical myths, are the appropriate means to address logistical challenges, and firmly state that Eritrea's Red Sea access is not for rent or subject to external redefinition.
This historical account examines Eritrea's struggle for independence, highlighting the catalytic event of September 1, 1961, when armed resistance began. It details how the United Nations, influenced by Cold War geopolitics, prioritized U.S. strategic interests over Eritrean self-determination, leading to a forced federation with Ethiopia. The text then illustrates Ethiopia's systematic dismantling of Eritrean autonomy, which ultimately ignited a thirty-year war of liberation despite overwhelming odds and a lack of international support for Eritrea. The narrative emphasizes the resilience, unity, and unwavering determination that led to Eritrea's hard-won sovereignty in 1991, underscoring the enduring significance of this legacy against contemporary attempts to revise its history.
Eritrea's unique vision for sustainable development, arguing that it is often misunderstood when viewed solely through international frameworks like the SDGs. It emphasizes that Eritrea's approach, rooted in its history and liberation struggle, predates many global goals and is built on principles of social justice, equality, environmental stewardship, and self-reliance. The article highlights Eritrea's commitment to free healthcare and education, its skepticism towards conditional foreign aid, and the strong societal values of solidarity and collective responsibility as integral to its developmental path. Ultimately, the text asserts that Eritrea's model, though sometimes labeled "isolationist," is a principled, pragmatic, and resilient indigenous strategy for progress.