Aregen Ridge Seen From The West on:
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Cambisol_
A_Cambisol_in_the_World_Reference_Base_for_Soil_Resources_(WRB)_is_a_soil_in_the_beginning_of_soil_formation._The__horizon_differentiation_is_weak._This_is_evident_from_weak,_mostly_brownish_discolouration_and/or_structure_formation_in_the_soil_pr_...
)
**_Inclusions
***_shallow,_dry_soils_with_very_high_amounts_of_stones_(Leptic_and_Skeletic_
Aregen is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the
From the higher to the lower locations, the following geological formations are present:
* Lower basalt
*
Regosol _
A_Regosol_in_the_World_Reference_Base_for_Soil_Resources_(WRB)_is_very_weakly_developed_mineral_soil_in_unconsolidated_materials._Regosols_are_extensive_in__eroding_lands,_in_particular_in_arid_and_semi-arid_areas_and_in_mountain_regions._Internat_...
_and_Dogu'a Tembien
Dogu'a Tembien (, "Upper Tembien", sometimes transliterated as Degua Tembien) 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 ...
district of the Tigray Region
The Tigray Region, officially the Tigray National Regional State, is the northernmost regional state in Ethiopia. The Tigray Region is the homeland of the Tigrayan, Irob, and Kunama people. Its capital and largest city is Mekelle. Tigray is ...
of Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
. The ''tabia'' centre is in Addi Gotet village, located approximately to the west-southwest of the ''woreda'' town Hagere Selam.
Geography
The ''tabia'' occupies an elongated ridge between the gorges of UpperTanqwa
Tanqwa is a river of northern Ethiopia. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien (2510 metres above sea level), it flows westward to Giba River which empties finally in the Tekezé River.
Hydrography
It is a confined river, locally me ...
and Tsech'i River
Tsech'i is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows westward to empty finally in Giba and Tekezé River.
Characteristics
It is a confined ephemeral river, locally meandering in i ...
s. The highest peak is near Aregen village ( a.s.l.) and the lowest place at the confluence of the two rivers ( a.s.l.).
Geology
From the higher to the lower locations, the following geological formations are present:
* Lower basalt
* Amba Aradam Formation
The Amba Aradam Formation is a Cretaceous sandstone formation in Ethiopia. It is up to 200 metres thick, for instance in the Degua Tembien district. As fossils are absent, the age of the Amba Aradam Formation was interpreted based on the age of a ...
* Antalo Limestone
The Antalo Limestone, also known as the Antalo Sequence, is a geological formation in Ethiopia. It is between 300 and 800 metres thick and comprises fossiliferous limestones and marls that were deposited in a reef. Marine microfossils have shown a ...
* Adigrat Sandstone
The Adigrat Sandstone formation in north Ethiopia, in a wide array of reddish colours, comprises sandstones with coarse to fine grains, and locally conglomerates, silt- and claystones. Given the many lateritic palaeosols and locally fossil wood ...
Geomorphology and soils
The maingeomorphic
Geomorphology (from Ancient Greek: , ', "earth"; , ', "form"; and , ', "study") is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features created by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or n ...
units, with corresponding soil types are:
* Hagere Selam Highlands, along the central basalt and sandstone ridge
** Associated soil types
*** shallow soils with high stone contents (Skeletic Cambisol
A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pr ...
, Leptic Cambisol
A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pr ...
, Skeletic Regosol
A Regosol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is very weakly developed mineral soil in unconsolidated materials. Regosols are extensive in eroding lands, in particular in arid and semi-arid areas and in mountain regions. Internat ...
)
*** moderately deep dark stony clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4).
Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
s with good natural fertility (Vertic Cambisol
A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pr ...
)
*** deep, dark cracking clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4).
Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
s, temporarily waterlogged during the wet season (Pellic Vertisol
A vertisol, or vertosol, is a soil type in which there is a high content of expansive clay minerals, many of them known as montmorillonite, that form deep cracks in drier seasons or years. In a phenomenon known as argillipedoturbation, alternat ...
)
** Inclusions
*** Rock outcrops and very shallow soils (Lithic Leptosol
A Leptosol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a very shallow soil over hard rock or a deeper soil that is extremely gravelly and/or stony. Leptosols cover approximately 1.7 billion hectares of the Earth's surface. They are ...
)
*** Rock outcrops and very shallow soils on limestone (Calcaric Leptosol
A Leptosol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a very shallow soil over hard rock or a deeper soil that is extremely gravelly and/or stony. Leptosols cover approximately 1.7 billion hectares of the Earth's surface. They are ...
)
*** Deep dark cracking clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4).
Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
s with very good natural fertility, waterlogged during the wet season (Chromic Vertisol
A vertisol, or vertosol, is a soil type in which there is a high content of expansive clay minerals, many of them known as montmorillonite, that form deep cracks in drier seasons or years. In a phenomenon known as argillipedoturbation, alternat ...
, Pellic Vertisol
A vertisol, or vertosol, is a soil type in which there is a high content of expansive clay minerals, many of them known as montmorillonite, that form deep cracks in drier seasons or years. In a phenomenon known as argillipedoturbation, alternat ...
)
*** Shallow stony dark loam
Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...
s on calcaric material (Calcaric Regosol
A Regosol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is very weakly developed mineral soil in unconsolidated materials. Regosols are extensive in eroding lands, in particular in arid and semi-arid areas and in mountain regions. Internat ...
, Calcaric Cambisol
A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pr ...
)
*** Brown loam
Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...
y soils on basalt with good natural fertility (Luvisol
Luvisols are a group of soils, comprising one of the 32 Reference Soil Groups in the international system of soil classification, the World Reference Base for Soil Resources The World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is an international so ...
)
* Adigrat Sandstone
The Adigrat Sandstone formation in north Ethiopia, in a wide array of reddish colours, comprises sandstones with coarse to fine grains, and locally conglomerates, silt- and claystones. Given the many lateritic palaeosols and locally fossil wood ...
cliff and footslope
** Associated soil types
*** complex of rock outcrops, very stony and very shallow soils ((Lithic) Leptosol
A Leptosol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a very shallow soil over hard rock or a deeper soil that is extremely gravelly and/or stony. Leptosols cover approximately 1.7 billion hectares of the Earth's surface. They are ...
)
*** shallow, stony sandy _and_
) ***_deep,_dark_cracking_
s_with_good_fertility,_but_problems_of_waterlogging_(agriculture).html" ;"title="loam soils (Eutric
Regosol
A Regosol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is very weakly developed mineral soil in unconsolidated materials. Regosols are extensive in eroding lands, in particular in arid and semi-arid areas and in mountain regions. Internat ...
and Cambisol
A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pr ...
)
** Inclusions
*** shallow, dry soils with very high amounts of stones (Leptic and Skeletic Cambisol
A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pr ...
and Regosol
A Regosol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is very weakly developed mineral soil in unconsolidated materials. Regosols are extensive in eroding lands, in particular in arid and semi-arid areas and in mountain regions. Internat ...
)
*** deep, dark cracking clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4).
Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
s with good fertility, but problems of waterlogging (agriculture)">waterlogging (Chromic and Pellic Vertisol
A vertisol, or vertosol, is a soil type in which there is a high content of expansive clay minerals, many of them known as montmorillonite, that form deep cracks in drier seasons or years. In a phenomenon known as argillipedoturbation, alternat ...
)
*** soils with stagnating water due to an abrupt textural change such as sand over clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4).
Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
(Haplic Planosol)
Climate
The rainfall pattern shows a very high seasonality with 70 to 80% of the annual rain falling in July and August. Mean temperature in Addi Gotet is 18 °C, oscillating between average daily minimum of 10 °C and maximum of 25.7 °C. The contrasts between day and night air temperatures are much larger than seasonal contrasts.Springs
As there are no permanent rivers, the presence of springs is of utmost importance for the local people. The main spring in the ''tabia'' is Gubarne in Kelkelay.Reservoirs
In this area with rains that last only for a couple of months per year, reservoirs of different sizes allow harvesting runoff from the rainy season for further use in the dry season. * Traditional surface water harvesting ponds, particularly in places without permanent springs, called ''rahaya'' * ''Horoyo'', household ponds, recently constructed through campaignsSettlements
The ''tabia'' centre Addi Gotet holds a few administrative offices, a health post, a primary school, and some small shops. There are a few more primary schools across the ''tabia''. The main other populated places are: * Kelkelay * Mahba * Geshere * Aregen * TsadqaneAgriculture and livelihood
The population lives essentially from crop farming, supplemented with off-season work in nearby towns. The land is dominated byfarmland
Agricultural land is typically land ''devoted to'' agriculture, the systematic and controlled use of other forms of lifeparticularly the rearing of livestock and production of cropsto produce food for humans. It is generally synonymous with bot ...
s which are clearly demarcated and are cropped every year. Hence the agricultural system
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
is a permanent upland farming system
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
. The farmers have adapted their cropping system The term cropping system refers to the crops, crop sequences and management techniques used on a particular agricultural field over a period of years. It includes all spatial and temporal aspects of managing an agricultural system. Historically, cro ...
s to the spatio-temporal variability in rainfall.
History and culture
Caves and archaeological sites
The Dabo Zellelew cave at the west of 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 ofPastoral Neolithic
The Pastoral Neolithic (5000 BP - 1200 BP) refers to a period in Africa's prehistory, specifically Tanzania and Kenya, marking the beginning of food production, livestock domestication, and pottery use in the region following the Later Stone Age. ...
age.Agazi Negash. (1997). Preliminary Results of Archaeological Reconnaissance of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, Nyame Akuma, 47, 27-32./ref>Agazi Negash. (2001). The Holocene Pre-Historic Archaeology of the Temben Region of Northern Ethiopia (PhD dissertation). University of Florida.
/ref> The Mihdar Ab’ur cave in the village of Mahba at a height of about 2500 metres, is some 64 m long (). It contains engravings and paintings of
Pastoral Neolithic
The Pastoral Neolithic (5000 BP - 1200 BP) refers to a period in Africa's prehistory, specifically Tanzania and Kenya, marking the beginning of food production, livestock domestication, and pottery use in the region following the Later Stone Age. ...
age.
History
The history of the ''tabia'' is strongly confounded with thehistory of Tembien
Tembien ( Tigrigna: ተምቤን) is a historic region in Tigray Region and former provinces of Ethiopia. It is a mountainous area of that country. During the reforms in 1994–95, the old provinces were replaced with regions, zones and woredas. ...
.
Religion and churches
Most inhabitants areOrthodox Christians
Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion.
Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Churc ...
. The following churches are located in the ''tabia'':
* Mahba Mika’el
* Aregen Maryam
* Medhanie Alem
* Tsadqane Maryam
''Inda Siwa'', the local beer houses
In the main villages, there are traditional beer houses ('' Inda Siwa''), often in unique settings, which are a good place for resting and chatting with the local people. Most renown in the ''tabia'' are * Mebrahten Gebremeskel at Aregen * Letebrhan Gebrekidan at KelkelayRoads and communication
The main roadMekelle
Mekelle ( ti, መቐለ, am, መቀሌ, mäqälle, mek’elē) or Mekele is a special zone and capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Mekelle was formerly the capital of Enderta awraja in Tigray. It is located around north of the Ethiopi ...
– Hagere Selam – Abiy Addi
Abiy Addi (also spelled Abi Addi; Tigrigna ዓብዪ ዓዲ "Big town") is a town in central Tigray Region, Tigray, Ethiopia. Abiy Addi is at the southeastern edge of the Kola Tembien woreda, of which it is the capital.
Overview
The town is di ...
runs just east of the ''tabia''. In Maygua there are regular bus services to these towns. Further, a rural access road links Addi Gotet to the main asphalt road.
Tourism
Its mountainous nature and proximity toMekelle
Mekelle ( ti, መቐለ, am, መቀሌ, mäqälle, mek’elē) or Mekele is a special zone and capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Mekelle was formerly the capital of Enderta awraja in Tigray. It is located around north of the Ethiopi ...
makes the ''tabia'' fit for tourism.
Geotouristic sites
The high variability of geological formations and the rugged topography invites for geological and geographic tourism or "geotourism". Geosites in the ''tabia'' include: * the “vase cave” in the gorge down from Tsadqane * the wider Ruba Dirho area, densely vegetated in the valley bottomTrekking routes
Trekking routes have been established in this ''tabia''. The tracks are not marked on the ground but can be followed using downloaded .GPX files. * Trek 6, follows the Ruba Dirho/Upper Tanqwa gorge, along the northern side of Aregen * Trek 7, allows to visit the eastern part of Aregen * Trek 20, in the Zeleqwa gorge, passes by the “vase” caveAccommodation and facilities
The facilities are very basic. One may be invited to spend the night in a rural homestead or ask permission to pitch a tent. Hotels are available in Hagere Selam andMekelle
Mekelle ( ti, መቐለ, am, መቀሌ, mäqälle, mek’elē) or Mekele is a special zone and capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Mekelle was formerly the capital of Enderta awraja in Tigray. It is located around north of the Ethiopi ...
.
See also
*Dogu'a Tembien
Dogu'a Tembien (, "Upper Tembien", sometimes transliterated as Degua Tembien) 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 ...
district.
References
{{ Tabias (municipalities) of Dogu’a Tembien Dogu'a Tembien Populated places in the Tigray Region