In a later detailed search, we uncovered several maps from the mid-19th Century in which Western Tigray is clearly mapped as part of the then confederate-like arrangement of Tigray. Handtke’s (1849) maps fit in a wide array of historical maps and records which jointly reveal that territorial organization has varied tremendously over time. These maps are some of several historical maps that were omitted in Achamyeleh Tamiru’s review that was written to justify Amhara nationalists’ claims on Welkait. Remarkably, all language maps of the Ethiopian state sustain the current boundaries of the Tigray region. As historical maps are a subject of research by the Ethiomap research project, with Smidt working on maps of the Ethiopian highlands and northern territories, more findings on the context of the 19th-century maps are expected.

Source: Ethiopian News May 14, 2022 01:18 UTC