Eritrean Monastic Institutions as “Lieux de Mémoire” and Source of History

This paper is based on historical research and field work in Eritrea we undertook a few years ago. Our purpose is to reevaluate the land tenure system in the Eritrean highlands in an historical perspective that takes into account the various local sources which scholars have so far not utilized. The project is funded by the Italian Cnr (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche) with the logistical support of the Italian Cooperation in Asmara and sponsored by the Department of History of the University of Bologna. All the material we microfilmed and copied as well as a collection of pictures is conserved in the Department library and is available to scholars. Only a preliminary report of our field work has been published, therefore we have today the first opportunity to discuss the larger part of our work that is still in process and has not been the subject of previous discussion in an historical meeting.