Dʿmt
Kingdom of Dʿmt ደዐመተ | |||||||
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980 BC–c. 650 BC | |||||||
Capital | Yeha[1] | ||||||
Government | Monarchy | ||||||
Historical era | Iron Age | ||||||
• Established | 980 BC | ||||||
• Disestablished | c. 650 BC | ||||||
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Dʿmt (Unvocalized
History of Eritrea |
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History of Ethiopia | |
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1314–1344 |
Kingdom of Dʿmt ደዐመተ | |||||||
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980 BC–c. 650 BC | |||||||
Capital | Yeha[1] | ||||||
Government | Monarchy | ||||||
Historical era | Iron Age | ||||||
• Established | 980 BC | ||||||
• Disestablished | c. 650 BC | ||||||
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Dʿmt (Unvocalized
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Amda Seyon's Expansions | 1314–1344 |
Oromo migrations | 1543 – 17th cent. |
Habesh Eyalet | 1557 – 17th cent. |
Gondarine period | 1632–1769 |
Zemene Mesafint | 1769–1855 |
Ottoman border conflict | 1832–1848 |
Second Italo–Ethiopian War | 1935–1936 |
Italian East Africa | 1936–1941 |
World War II | 1941 |
Italian guerrilla war | 1941–1943 |
Federation with Eritrea | 1952–1962 |
Eritrean Independence War | 1961–1991 |
Ethiopian Civil War | 1974–1991 |
Ogaden War | 1977–1978 |
Given the presence of a large temple complex, the capital of Dʿmt may have been present day Yeha, in Tigray Region, Ethiopia.[1] At Yeha, the temple to the god Ilmuqah is still standing.[5]
The kingdom developed irrigation schemes, used plows, grew millet, and made iron tools and weapons.
Some modern historians including
Archaeologist Rodolfo Fattovich believed that there was a division in the population of Dʿmt and northern Ethiopia due to the kings ruling over the 'sb (Sabaeans) and the 'br, the 'Reds' and the 'Blacks'.[10] Fattovich also noted that the known kings of Dʿmt worshipped both South Arabian and indigenous gods named 'str, Hbs, Dt Hmn, Rb, Šmn, Ṣdqn and Šyhn.[10]
After the fall of Dʿmt in the 5th century BC, the plateau came to be dominated by smaller unknown successor kingdoms. This lasted until the rise of one of these polities during the first century BC, the Aksumite Kingdom.[11]
The following is a list of four known rulers of Dʿmt, in chronological order:[7]
Term | Name | Queen | Notes |
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Dates from ca. 700 BC to ca. 650 BC | |||
Mlkn Wʿrn Ḥywt | ʿArky(t)n | contemporary of the Sabaean mukarrib Karib'il Watar | |
Mkrb, Mlkn Rdʿm | Smʿt | ||
Mkrb, Mlkn Ṣrʿn Rbḥ | Yrʿt | Son of Wʿrn Ḥywt, "King Ṣrʿn of the tribe YGʿḎ [=Agʿazi, cognate to Ge'ez ], mkrb of DʿMT and SB'"
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Mkrb, Mlkn Ṣrʿn Lmn | ʿAdt | Son of Rbḥ, contemporary of the Sabaean mukarrib Sumuhu'alay, "King Ṣrʿn of the tribe YGʿḎ, mkrb of DʿMT and SB'" |