Dogu'a Tembien (, "Upper Tembien", sometimes transliterated as Degua Tembien or Dägʿa Tämben) is a woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It is named in part after the former province of Tembien. Nowadays, the mountainous district is part of the Southeastern Tigray Zone. The administrative centre of this woreda is Hagere Selam.
History
Dogu'a Tembien holds numerous prehistoric sites, which have been dated to the Middle Stone Age in Ayninbirkekin, or Pastoral Neolithic in Aregen and Menachek.
Geography Topography and landscapes
Major mountains
Tsatsen, 2815 metres, a wide mesa between Hagere Selam and Inda Maryam Qorar () Ekli Imba, 2799 metres, summit of the Arebay massif in Arebay tabia or district () Imba Zuw'ala, 2710 metres, near Hagere Selam () Aregen, 2660 metres, in Aregen tabia () Dabba Selama, 2630 metres, in Haddinnet tabia () (not to be confused with the homonymous monastery) Imba Dogu'a, 2610 metres, in Mizane Birhan tabia () Imba Ra'isot, 2590 metres, in Ayninbirkekin tabia () Itay Sara, 2460 metres, in Haddinnet tabia () Imba Bete Giyergis, 2390 metres, in Debre Nazret tabia () Tsili, 2595 metres, in Haddinnet tabia ()
Lowest places The lowest places are where the main rivers leave the district. They are often located not far from the highest points, what indicates the magnitude of the relief Along Giba River, near Kemishana, 1406 metres () Along Agefet River, north of Azef, 1720 metres () Along Tsaliet River, underneath the promontory that holds Dabba Selama monastery, 1763 metres () At the junction of Tanqwa and Tsech'i Rivers, a bit upstream from May Lomin, 1897 metres ()
Mountain passes Since ages, major footpaths and roads in Dogu'a Tembien have been using mountain passes, called ksad, what means "neck" in Tigrinya language. Ksad Halah (), a narrow pass between Giba and Tsaliet basins, also crossed by the main road Ksad Miheno (), another pass with several footpaths linking Giba and Tsaliet basins; here, the main road is a ridge road and crosses the pass transversally Ksad Addi Amyuk (), at 2710 metres, is the highest pass of the district, where the main road passes before entering Hagere Selam Ksad Mederbay (), a V-shaped pass in a dolerite ridge, used to be the main entrance gate to Dogu'a Tembien, when coming from Mekelle with many converging footpaths and mule tracks. It was also a battle field during the Ethiopian Civil War of the 1980s Ksad Azef () is a place through which the Tembien highlands could relatively easily be accessed when coming from the Gheralta lowlands. During the Italian invasion, it was an important battlefield during the First Battle of Tembien – The Italians called it Passo Abaro Ksad Adawro () is not a real pass, but a relatively level ledge between two cliffs The town of Hagere Selam is located on a wide saddle Ksad Korowya (), remotely located along Tsaliet River, is a spectacular pass in the sandstone landscape, to be crossed before ascending to Dogu'a Tembien from the northwest
Ethnography Place names show that the Tembien Tigrayans or Tembienot were partly Agew in the past; still nowadays, there are Agew speakers in Abergele, directly southwest of Dogu'a Tembien. The population of Dogu'a Tembien is composed of the original population with a certain admixture of descendants of slaves and serfs who were brought from southwestern Ethiopia, and were in the service of bigger land owners during feudality. There is no formal discrimination, and all have adopted Tigrinya language and identify as Tigrayans today. However, when it comes to marriage, in-laws may informally verify the ancestry of bride or groom.
Administrative division
Dogu'a Tembien comprises 24 tabias or municipalities (status 2019), which have been mapped with their boundaries: Hagere Selam, woreda capital () Degol Woyane, tabia centre in Zala () Mahbere Sillasie, tabia centre in Guderbo () Selam, tabia centre in Addi Werho () Haddinnet, tabia centre in Addi Idaga () Addi Walka, tabia centre in Kelkele () Arebay, tabia centre in Arebay village () Ayninbirkekin, tabia centre in Halah (). This tabia includes the previous Hamushte Kebeb tabia, holding the five villages of Hechi, Addi Qolqwal, May Be'ati, Halah and Tsigaba. Addilal, tabia centre in Addilal village () Addi Azmera, tabia centre in Tukhul () Emni Ankelalu, tabia centre in Mitslal Afras () Mizane Birhan, tabia centre in Ma'idi () Mika'el Abiy, tabia centre in Megesta () Lim'at, tabia centre in Maygua () Melfa, tabia centre in Melfa village (), birthplace of Ethiopian emperor Yohannes IV Aregen, tabia centre in Addi Gotet () Menachek, tabia centre in Addi Bayro () Mizan, tabia centre in Kerene (). This tabia includes Arefa (), reputedly birthplace of the Queen of Sheba Simret, tabia centre in Dengolo (). This tabia includes the village of Mennawe (), birthplace of Ethiopian general Ras Alula Abba Nega Seret, tabia centre in Inda Maryam Qorar () Walta, tabia centre in Da'erere () Inda Sillasie, tabia centre in Migichi () Amanit, tabia centre in Addi Qeshofo village () Debre Nazret, tabia centre in Togogwa ()
Population Based on the 2007 national census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda had a total population of 113,595, an increase of 28% over the 1994 census, of whom 56,955 were men and 56,640 women; 7,270 or 6.4% were urban inhabitants. A total of 25,290 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.5 persons per household, and 24,591 housing units. The majority of the inhabitants said they practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 99.89% reporting that as their religion.Census 2007 Tables: Tigray Region , Tables 2.1, 2.4, 2.5 and 3.4.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 89,037, of whom 44,408 were men and 44,629 were women. The largest ethnic group reported in Dogu'a Tembien was the Tigrayan (99.87%). Tigrinya was spoken as a first language by 99.89%. Concerning education, 7% of the population were considered literate, which was less than the Zone average of 14%; 8% of children aged 7–12 were in primary school; 0.14% of the children aged 13–14 were in junior secondary school, and 0.21% of the inhabitants aged 15–18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions, about 29% of the urban houses and 15% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; 6% of the urban and 2.4% of the total had toilet facilities.1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region, Vol. 1, part 1 , Tables 2.1, 2.12, 2.19, 3.5, 3.7, 6.3, 6.11, 6.13 (accessed 30 December 2008)
2020 woreda reorganisation As of 2020, Dogu'a Tembien's territory belongs to the following new woredas: Dogu'a Tembien (new, smaller, woreda) Hagere Selam town Tanqwa Mellash woreda (part of it) Geralta (part of it) Inderta (part of it)
Geology Overview The East African Orogeny led to the growth of a mountain chain in the Precambrian (up to 800 million years ago or Ma), that was largely eroded afterwards. Around 600 Ma, the Gondwana break-up led to the presence of tectonic structures and a Palaeozoic planation surface, that extents to the north and west of the Dogu'a Tembien massif.
Subsequently, there was the deposition of sedimentary and volcanic formations, from older (at the foot of the massif) to younger, near the summits. From Palaeozoic to Triassic, Dogu'a Tembien was located near the South Pole. The (reactivate) Precambrian extensional faults guided the deposition of glacial sediments (Edaga Arbi Glacials and Enticho Sandstone). Later alluvial plain sediments were deposited (Adigrat Sandstone). The break-up of Gondwana (Late Palaeozoic to Early Triassic) led to an extensional tectonic phase, what caused the lowering of large parts of the Horn of Africa. As a consequence a marine transgression occurred, leading to the deposition of marine sediments (Antalo Limestone and Agula Shale).
At the end of the Mesozoic tectonic phase, a new (Cretaceous) planation took place. After that, the deposition of continental sediments (Amba Aradam Formation) indicates the presence of less shallow seas, what was probably caused by a regional uplift. In the beginning of the Caenozoic, there was a relative tectonic quiescence, during which the Amba Aradam Sandstones were partially eroded what led to the formation of a new planation surface.
In the Eocene, the Afar plume a broad regional uplift deformed the lithosphere, leading to the eruption of flood basalts. The magma followed pre-existing tectonic lineaments. A mere thickness of 400 metres of basalt indicates that the pre-trap rock topography was more elevated in Dogu'a Tembien as compared to more southerly areas. Three major formations may be distinguished: lower basalts, interbedded lacustrine deposits and upper basalts. Almost at the same time, the Mekelle Dolerite intruded the Mesozoic sediments following joints and faults.
A new magma intrusion occurred in the Early Miocene, what gave rise to a few phonolite plugs in Dogu'a Tembien. The present geomorphology is marked by deep valleys, eroded as a result of the regional uplift. Throughout the Quaternary deposition of alluvium and freshwater tufa occurred in the valley bottoms.
Fossils In Dogu'a Tembien, there are two main fossil-bearing geological units. The Antalo Limestone (upper Jurassic) is the largest. Its marine deposits comprise mainly benthic marine invertebrates. Also, the Tertiary lacustrine deposits, interbedded in the basalt formations, contain a range of silicified mollusc fossils.
In the Antalo Limestone: large Paracenoceratidae cephalopods (nautilus); Nerineidae indet.; sea urchins; Rhynchonellid brachiopod; crustaceans; coral colonies; crinoid stems.
In the Tertiary silicified lacustrine deposits: Pila (gastropod); Lanistes sp.; Pirenella conica; and land snails (Achatinidae indet.).
All snail shells, both fossil and recent, are called t'uyo in Tigrinya language, which means 'helicoidal'.
Natural caves The vast areas with outcropping Antalo Limestone hold numerous caves.
At Zeyi (), the monumental Zeyi Abune Aregawi church holds the entrance to Northern Ethiopia's largest cave. The 364-metres long oval gallery displays stalactites, stalagmites, decametre-high columns, bell-holes following joints, and speleothems on walls and floor. The Zeyi Cave Geosite in Northern Ethiopia
The 145-metres long Zeleqwa horizontal gallery is located in a cliff nearby the river of the same name (). At the upper side of the cliff, there is an alignment of cavities: the "windows" of a gallery parallel to cliff and river. The cave floor holds with clay pots that would have served as food containers for villagers who went there hiding during an early 20th C. conflict.
The Tinsehe caves, a cave system opening into the Upper Tsaliet River gorge near Addi Idaga (). The entrance near a small church is behind a waterfall 100 meters high."Stalagmite sampling results table" , Ethiopian Venture, First phase: Climate Reconstruction (accessed 17 May 2009)
The Dabo Zellelew cave in Aregen at a height of about 2000 metres, has been explored over 14.4 m but its distance is claimed to be way longer (). It contains lithic tools, potsherds, engravings and paintings of Pastoral Neolithic age.Agazi Negash. (1997). Preliminary Results of Archaeological Reconnaissance of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, Nyame Akuma, 47, 27-32.Agazi Negash. (2001). The Holocene Pre-Historic Archaeology of the Temben Region of Northern Ethiopia (PhD dissertation). University of Florida.
The Mihdar Ab'ur cave in the village of Mahba in Aregen at a height of about 2500 metres, is some 64 m long (). It contains engravings and paintings of Pastoral Neolithic age.