From the soaring obelisks of Aksum to the stelae fields of Tiya, Ethiopia’s monuments reveal a tradition that evolved rather than disappeared. The practice of inscribing power into stone, Stranger added, persisted well into late antiquity. Samuel ultimately situates Ethiopia’s megalithic heritage within a global frame that complicates conventional prehistoric chronologies. From prehistoric dolmens to the enduring symbolism of erected stone, Ethiopia’s megalithic terrains testify to an unusually persistent dialogue between society, memory, and material. In these monuments, stone becomes more than structure — it is chronology made visible, anchoring civilizational identity within the shifting currents of history.

Source: Ethiopian News February 21, 2026 08:20 UTC