Enset (Ensete ventricosum) and the Archaeology of Southwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

Enset (Ensete ventricosum) is an indigenous Ethiopian domesticate growing in what is known as the “enset zone” of southwestern Ethiopia. Few archaeological sites have been excavated in this region, and only one site has yielded remains of enset. However, the abundant megalithic and rock art sites in the region compensate for the paucity of the archaeological record. This review article provides an interpretative analysis of the existing body of work to shed new light on the beginning of agriculture in the “enset zone.” It integrates the region’s archaeological evidence, recovered through excavations, with the information from megalithic and unique rock art sites. The archaeological evidence of this zone indicates a late introduction of domestic stock and pottery. The unique megalithic and rock art traditions in this region are considered to be part of the distinct cultural adaptations related to the later phases of food production.