A field of carved stone stelae marking graves, in the Soddo district south of the upper Awash, one of many such fields in the Soddo, Hadiya, Sidama and Gedeo country.
Roger Joussaume, who excavated it, dated it to the eleventh to thirteenth centuries; later work widens the range to the tenth to fifteenth. The makers are not known. If Joussaume is right, the stelae culture is alive on 1 January 1200: the material sign of the self-governing peoples of the southern highlands.
Who holds it
- Title
- Not applicable (archaeological site)
- Since
- Not applicable
- Confidence
- low
Lord in 1200
In the country of the northern Gurage, under no known lord.
How things stand that morning
In use about this time on Joussaume's dating.
Council
Not recorded
Communities
Not recorded
Fairs and markets
Not recorded
Militia
Not recorded
Walls and castle
Not recorded
Trade and crafts
Not recorded
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Excavated site with a broad date range.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.