You know I love this stuff:
A lost city thought to be more than 1,000 years old has been discovered in Ethiopia and may offer insight into Islam’s origins in the country.
The settlement, located near Ethiopia’s second largest city of Dire Dawa, in the east of the country, consisted of buildings constructed with large stone blocks, which gave rise to a local myth that giants lived there. Researchers believe it may date back as early as the 10th century.
Archaeologists discovered a 12th-century mosque in the settlement at Harlaa, as well as evidence of Islamic burials and headstones. The team, from the University of Exeter and the Ethiopian Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage, also found artifacts from as far afield as India and China, suggesting that the region functioned as a hub for foreign traders.
The Christian Creationists must really hate it when scientists discover new evidence like this.
The Medieval/ Late-Medieval is also very poorly understood archaeologically. Especially the spread of Islam. Too much reliance on incomplete and biased textual evidence. Every site like this adds context and substance to our shared history.