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THE EARLIEST GEOLOGICAL AND GEOMORPHOLOGICAL MAPS OF ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA [Abstract ID: 0514-10]
The highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea (commonly referred to as “Abyssinia” at the time) in particular, and the Horn of Africa in general, were a hotbed of geographical, geological and geomorphological exploration from the 18th century to the first half of the 20th century. Several European explorers documented the geological and geomorphological setting of the highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea along with detailed descriptions of the natural history. Many of the explorers produced geological and geomorphological maps and cross-sections, accompanied by detailed exploratory notes. The most notable works include those of the French naturalists Antoine and Arnaud D’Abbadie (1837-1848), who gave the first systematic geographical and geodetic description of Ethiopia; Majors Ferret and Galinier (1840-1842), who produced the first ever geological map and geological cross-section of Northern Ethiopia; British explorer and naturalist Henry Cook (1866-1867), who produced the first systematic review of the climatic, geological and geographical setting of the Abyssinian highlands; and British explorer and naturalist W. T. Blandford (1867-1868), who provided the first systematic stratigraphic outline of the geological setting of Northern Ethiopia. It is worth noting that the “stratigraphic outline” of Blandford is still in use today with little modification. This paper is a systematic treatise on all accessible geological and geomorphological maps, and related archival materials, of Ethiopia and Eritrea produced during the period 1750-1950. A critical review of these geological and geomorphological maps indicates that the detail and accuracy of observation of these explorers and naturalists was unprecedented, and the maps they produced were generally accurate in view of the contemporary knowledge of Earth Sciences. A comparative assessment of modern geological and geomorphological maps of Ethiopia and those of the 18th to 20th centuries further confirms the great scientific value of the earliest maps. It will also be shown that these maps were useful guides in facilitating the political, economic and military motives of the sponsors of some explorations, such as during the Napier expedition to Magdala in 1867-1868.