Jala Salina Mine
Roman (300 BCE–500 CE)·Roman·🇪🇹 Northern Tigray, Ethiopia
About
About Jala Salina Mine
Jala Salina Mine in Northern Tigray, Ethiopia is a Roman (300 BCE–500 CE) quarry attributed to Roman culture. Systematically investigated through photogrammetry and fieldwalking, it presents a monumental core with necropolis. Construction employs mudbrick on stone socle and demonstrates long-distance exchange. Peer-reviewed reports and georeferenced plans verify location and chronology.
Why it mattersKey Roman quarry with stratified sequence and regional significance.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Long-distance exchange networks
- 02Chronology and phasing of monuments
Theories
- 01Ritual landscape and ancestral veneration
- 02Territorial marker and boundary statement
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 337 CE
- Period
- Roman (300 BCE–500 CE)
- Culture
- Roman
- Purpose
- Residential and craft production
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 337 CE
Initial construction and primary occupation
c. 499 CE
Major enlargement and wall circuit added
c. 700 CE
Peak occupation and regional prominence
1950
Scientific excavation and conservation
On the ground
Structures & features
15.4081° N · 38.6863° E · 1887 m · 3 mapped features
Burial Cluster
gatewayBurial zone — tumuli
15.4072° N · 38.6868° EEnclosure Wall
tombOutlier feature with standing stones
15.4088° N · 38.6889° ERock Art Panel
altarPrimary quarry at Jala Salina Mine — rock-cut facade
15.4098° N · 38.6880° E