First reflections on the structural analysis or rock-hewn caves in Lalibela’s landscape, Ethiopia

The Lalibela area is mainly known for the rock-hewn churches located at the eponymous site and in the surrounding mountains. Several other rupestrian structures, potentially meant for settlement, have nevertheless also been identified by recent work carried out by a Franco-Ethiopian team led by M.-L. Derat and C. Bosc-Tiessé (CNRS). These cavities revealed by a number of surveys in the field, generated a PhD research that began in October 2019, whose aim is to understand and correlate these rupestrian remains with other occupations and sites in Lalibela’s landscape. Barely mentioned in the literature, the sites are only known thanks to extensive data acquisition work on the field. Located on the Ethiopian highlands, they benefit from a lithological and geomorphological environment that is favourable to their establishment. Indeed, the Lalibela region owes its geological formation to volcanic activity, made up by numerous areas conducive such as layers of scoriaceous basalt or ignimbrite. Corresponding to isolated or grouped cavities, these sites are located on the escarpments or the slopes of the mountain sides. The state of conservation of the structures varies more or less according to the nature of the rock. This paper aims to share initial thoughts and open a dialogue on the issue of these rock-hewn spaces in northern Ethiopia. In addition to carrying out a spatial analysis of these sites, a structural approach – based on the observations of tool marks – is also attempted to enable a better understanding of the sites themselves, but also to grasp implementation techniques and detail the various tools used. The aim of these initial thoughts is to highlight the common points and constraints of the sites in their respective environments. A focus on the techniques and their approach and understanding will be proposed. Their study is the opportunity to highlight the carving process