Selameab Wolde Tsadik

Traditional Ironmaking Technologies of Ethiopia Selameab Wolde Tsadik

Iron and steel are the cornerstones of modern civilization and technologicaladvancements. The level of technological and scientific achievementsattained in the world today are possible, to a large extent, due to the discoveryof iron particularly due to the development of steel. Iron and steel are sobasic to economic growth that their rate of consumption is one indicator ofthe level of growth a country has achieved. Ethiopia was self-sufficient in meeting its needs for iron/steel productsrequired for maintaining a subsistence economy. This was achieved throughits own local production of iron up to about one hundred years ago. Thereare evidences that strongly suggest that the ironmaking technologiesin the country were well developed and extensively employed. Due tosuch technologies, the country was producing agricultural, hunting, warmaterials, etc., from iron smelted from local ores. The number of metallictools and implements unearthed at Yeha, Axum, Lalibela and various otherarchaeological sites attest quite clearly to this fact.