Tiya (archaeological site)
| Tiya | |
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 Tiya
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| Coordinates: 8°26′N 38°37′E / 8.433°N 38.617°ECoordinates: 8°26′N 38°37′E / 8.433°N 38.617°E | |
| Country | Ethiopia |
| Region | Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region |
| Zone | Gurage |
| Official name | Tiya |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, iv |
| Designated | 1980 (4th session) |
| Reference no. | 12 |
| Region | Africa |
Tiya is an archaeological site in central Ethiopia. It is located in the Gurage Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region south of Addis Ababa.
Tiya is located in the Soddo Region of Ethiopia. It is best known for its archaeological site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site remarkable for its large stone pillars, many of which bear some form of decoration. The menhir or stelae, "32 of which are engraved with enigmatic symbols, notably swords," mark a large, prehistoric burial complex. A German ethnographic expedition had visited the site in April 1935, and had found at one hour's journey to the south of the caravan camp the stone monoliths with sword symbol, which had been seen earlier by Neuville and Père Azaïs. The archeological site was designated a World Heritage Site in 1980.
Ethiopia has a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Axum (granted World Heritage status in 1980), the rock–hewn churches of Lalibela (1978), the Semien Mountains National Park (1978), the Fasiledes Castle in Gondar (1979); the prehistoric sites of Tiya (1980), the lower Valley of the Awash River (1980), the lower Valley of the Omo (1980), the Muslim Holy city of Harar (2006); and the Konso Landscape (2011). Unfortunately, the archaeology of Ethiopia is understudied in many ways. Little research has been done at Tiya, and there are several difficulties in understanding these types of sites from an archaeological standpoint. First, it is difficult to determine the identity of the megalith builders given just the megaliths themselves. Second, archaeologists have been preoccupied with reconstructing ethnic histories through oral historical accounts, yet these are unavailable or uninformative in many cases.
Surface finds at Tiya contained a selection of Middle Stone Age tools (MSA) that are technologically similar to tools found at Gademotta and Kulkuletti. Because of a unique production process that uses what are called “tranchet blows,” Tiya tools might also belong to the same time span as these other two sites.
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