Matara — Ancient Town Buried North Terrace (Eritrea)
Matara N Terrace
Neolithic to Bronze Age (6000–1200 BCE)·Bronze Age·🇪🇷 Debub, Matara, Eritrea
About
About Matara — Ancient Town Buried North Terrace (Eritrea)
Matara — Ancient Town Buried North Terrace (Eritrea) in Debub, Matara, Eritrea is a Neolithic to Bronze Age (6000–1200 BCE) buried city attributed to Bronze Age. Systematic survey and coring document radiocarbon sequence. The site includes a principal platform and domestic quarter. Dimensions insula 28 × 42 m; street grid 120 m × 90 m; area 22.1 ha. Excavation buried; condition buried under 2–5 m alluvium/colluvium. Peer-reviewed reports and georeferenced plans available.
Why it mattersKey Bronze Age buried-city with stratified sequence and landscape setting at 1800 m elevation.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Chronology and phasing
- 02Relation to regional network
Theories
- 01Ceremonial centre
- 02Elite residence hypothesis
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. 3000 BCE
- Period
- Neolithic to Bronze Age (6000–1200 BCE)
- Culture
- Bronze Age
- Purpose
- Buried urban quarter under later deposits
- Rediscovered
- 1908
- Excavation
- Buried
c. 3000 BCE
Initial construction / foundation
c. 821 BCE
Major refurbishment / second phase
1923
Modern rediscovery and excavation
On the ground
Structures & features
14.6800° N · 39.4300° E · 1800 m · 4 mapped features
- Buried Insula NorthinsulaBuried Insula North at Matara — Ancient Town Buried North Terrace (Eritrea) — insula with stratified deposits14.6805° N · 39.4302° E
- Street Grid SectorstreetStreet Grid Sector at Matara — Ancient Town Buried North Terrace (Eritrea) — street with stratified deposits14.6817° N · 39.4283° E
- Workshop TerraceworkshopWorkshop Terrace at Matara — Ancient Town Buried North Terrace (Eritrea) — workshop with stratified deposits14.6815° N · 39.4282° E
- Rampart SegmentrampartRampart Segment at Matara — Ancient Town Buried North Terrace (Eritrea) — rampart with stratified deposits14.6816° N · 39.4285° E
Gallery