Demarginalizing Medieval AfricaNew project affiliated with CSMC

18 August 2021, by Webmaster

Photo: Jacopo Gnisci

A new AHRC-DFG project, carried out in cooperation with University College London, intends to illuminate the art, history, and culture of the Ethiopian Empire during the early Solomonic period.

The Ethiopian Empire was the longest-lived empire in Africa behind that of Ancient Egypt. However, the visual culture of Ethiopia continues to be marginalized and misrepresented. The project ‘Demarginalizing Medieval Africa: Images, Texts, and Identity in Early Solomonic Ethiopia (1270-1527)’ intends to shed new light on the art, history, and culture of the Ethiopian Empire during the early Solomonic period. Collaborating with libraries and institutions across the world, it will focus on the dynasty that claimed to descend from the biblical King Solomon from its rise in 1270 to its near collapse in 1527. By looking at illustrations in medieval Ethiopic manuscripts, focusing especially on little-known examples in collections in Germany and the UK, this project aims to improve our understanding of the vibrant cultural and religious history of the Ethiopian Empire during this period.

CSMC congratulates Alessandro Bausi on this exciting new project, which will be supported by an AHRC-DFG grant and run for a duration of three years. It will be co-hosted by University College London, a collaboration we are very much looking forward to. For more information on the project, please read the description on our website.