-
600 BCE
Kingdom of D'mt
The Kingdom of D'mt is established in northern Ethiopia,. Becomes a mecca of trade in ivory, gold, silver, and slaves to Arab merchants -
500 BCE
Kingdom of Aksum
The Kingdom of Aksum is formed -
300 BCE
Trade route changes, trade declines
Trade route courses are turned east rather than west, gain easier access to coastal ports
the Kingdom of D'mt is absorbed into small city-states due to the decline in trade. eventually overtaken by the Kingdom of Aksum -
Period: 301 to 400
Christianity came to Aksum
Christianity came to Aksum in the 4th century AD. the town is still a major centre of Christian pilgrimage as the Ark of the Covenant is, according to Ethiopian belief, kept ever since it was brought from Jerusalem by Menelik I, son of the fabled Ethiopian Queen of Sheba and King Solomon -
Period: 601 to 700
Aksum entered dark ages
Aksum flourished until the 7th century, when the rise of Islam in Arabia left it isolated, trade dwindled and the whole of Ethiopia entered its ‘dark ages’. -
1137
Zagwe dynasty
Zagwe dynasty emerged and work on the incredible rock-hewn churches was begun. At around the same time, Islam was beginning to spread into the eastern part of the country, and the fortified Muslim town of Harar was established