A groundbreaking LiDAR survey of the rugged Tigray region in Ethiopia has exposed a sophisticated high-altitude agricultural system belonging to the Axumite Empire. The imagery reveals thousands of meticulously constructed stone terraces and a series of interconnected reservoirs designed to capture seasonal rains and divert them through a complex network of gravity-fed canals. This infrastructure indicates that the Axumite civilization practiced intensive sustainable agriculture at elevations previously thought to be inhospitable for large-scale urban support.
The data also identified several previously unknown administrative outposts that oversaw the distribution of water and grain, suggesting a high level of central planning. This discovery dramatically increases our understanding of the economic foundations of the Axumite Empire and its ability to maintain a resilient and stable population center in a challenging mountainous environment for several centuries.