13. The Treasures of Debre Damo

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. CONTENTS v
3. Note on Conventions ix
4. Introduction: Africa in the Middle Ages 1
5. 1. The Tribulations of Two Chinese in Africa 16
6. 2. In the Belly of the Sperm Whale 22
7. 3. Aspects of a Border 28
8. 4. Diplomatic Back- and- Forth at the Court of George II of Nubia 36
9. 5. “Does anyone live beyond you?” 44
10. 6. For Forty- Two Thousand Dinars 50
11. 7. A Tale of Two Cities: On the Capital of Ghâna 56
12. 8. Ghâna, One Hundred Years Later 64
13. 9. The Conversion Effect 69
14. 10. The King of Zâfûn Enters Marrakesh 75
15. 11. The Rich Dead of the Tumuli 81
16. 12. Aksum, the City That Made Kings 89
17. 13. The Treasures of Debre Damo 94
18. 14. One Map, Two Geographies 100
19. 15. The Case of the Concubine 105
20. 16. Sijilmâsa, Crossroads at the Ends of the Earth 111
21. 17. The Land Where Gold Grows like Carrots 119
22. 18. Phantom Mines 125
23. 19. The Land of Sofala 131
24. 20. The Golden Rhinoceros 135
25. 21. The Stratigraphy of Kilwa, or How Cities Are Born 143
26. 22. The Camels of Madagascar, or Marco Polo’s Africa 149
27. 23. The Work of Angels 154
28. 24. The Sultan and the Sea 160
29. 25. Ruins of Salt 169
30. 26. The Customs of Mâli 175
31. 27. A Wreck in the Sahara 183
32. 28. The Golden Orb 190
33. 29. The King’s Speech 200
34. 30. The Production of Eunuchs in Abyssinia 209
35. 31. Inventory at Great Zimbabwe 215
36. 32. Next Year in Tamentit, or the (Re)discovery of Africa 222
37. 33. Africa’s New Shores 232
38. 34. Vasco da Gama and the “New World” 240
39. Acknowledgments 249
40. Glossary 251
41. Further Reading 255
42. Index 259