Embodying Ethiopia’s Global Golden Age on the Muslim-Christian Frontier: The Allure of Glass Beads

Abstract The period between AD 700 and 1500 has been recently labeled as “Africa’s global Golden Age.” This is particularly true for the Shay communities living on Muslim-Christian frontier in ninth to fourteenth century AD. Located center of Ethiopian highlands, faced expansion Christian kingdoms advance Muslim polities. In an increasingly violent context religious conversion war two powers, stressed their independence by burying deceased collective structures, contrary mortuary practices both Christians Muslims, including precious local grave goods tombs. laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analysis 34 glass beads shows how benefited from Islamic trade routes at time, Middle East, Egypt, Indo-Pacific networks. article examines crucial role construction a trans-corporeal landscape among that served emergence consolidation social self identity against neighbors.