Talk:Sabaeans in the Horn of Africa

Requested move 18 April 2025

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: moved. Moved as an uncontested request with minimal participation. If there is any objection within a reasonable time frame, please ask me to reopen the discussion; if I am not available, please ask at the technical requests page.

I believe the community consensus is reached as "support", with no opposing and one comment, if you wish for me to revert or re-open the discussion, please talk to me at my talk page. (non-admin closure) Valorrr (lets chat) 05:26, 26 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]


Sabaean colonization of AfricaSabaeans in the Horn of Africa – Alternatively Sabaeans and the Horn of Africa. WP:POVTITLE, see a survey of the literature. Proposed title's scope would cover all three POVs present in recent scholarly sources. Titling it something like Sabaean migrations to Africa (the most common POV) would still be a POVTITLE and sideline due POVs. This has mainly been discussed at Talk:Sheba#African conquests (people may be interested in some of the quotes there) where we've come to a rough agreement about the structuring of a rewrite to adhere with NPOV. There's also been discussion here more generally. Kowal2701 (talk) 22:41, 18 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

WikiProject Yemen, WikiProject Ethiopia, and WikiProject History have been notified. Kowal2701 (talk) 23:58, 18 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Support per the discussion we've had on Talk:Sheba#African conquests, although I'm open to better name suggestions 𐩣𐩫𐩧𐩨 Abo Yemen (𓃵) 06:00, 19 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Support. Pogenplain (talk) 16:18, 19 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Comment. "Horn of Africa" is a very modern phrase and I find it a bit incongruous in this context. Why is it the appropriate framing? Srnec (talk) 03:52, 20 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Tbf we could just have Africa, just thought it was more WP:PRECISE. The whole debate over this is about state formation in the Horn of Africa, but there’s no other region of Africa this could be confused with Kowal2701 (talk) 09:15, 20 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
For what it's worth, I don't think "colonization" implies anything about state formation. Srnec (talk) 17:25, 20 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
See the first quote at Talk:Sheba#African conquests Kowal2701 (talk) 17:27, 20 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
It was first detailed by Carlo Conti Rossini c. 1927 (IIRC) and was based on the Hamitic hypothesis that all "civilisation" in "Negro Africa" had to have been derived from external contact with "superior peoples". Kowal2701 (talk) 17:33, 20 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
This is basically about the origins of Dʿmt Kowal2701 (talk) 17:36, 20 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Sabean narrative

The sabean narrative is a convenient Eurocentric tale to suppress any type of autonomy, seeing parallels between cultures does not indicate Sabean influence rather a concurrent civilisation on both sides as stated by many. Why are they are they being labelled as Sabean? What is the evidence of a south Arabian origin and influence? Why do they appear on both sides at the exact same period? Secondly where does the Greek influence appear in pre-Axumite sites? 51.190.229.94 (talk) 20:26, 21 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Merely stating something does not make it factual 51.190.229.94 (talk) 20:30, 21 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I agree, but we just follow what WP:RS say. Honestly I'm a bit dismayed scholars of ancient Yemen maintain it. It's a colonial narrative that lingers because nobody's accumulated enough evidence of the contrary. But even sources supporting an indigenous origin say there was undeniable South Arabian influence. Kowal2701 (talk) 20:42, 21 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Hello @Kowal2701 and (I'm assuming that this IP is BasedHistorianPHD due to the geolocation of the IP and the arguments that they're trying to represent, but anyways), I noticed that for some reason, this "Evidence of social complexity prior to 800 BCE" section is placed before the actual content that this article is supposed to be about. Is there a reason for that? And are Yamauchi 2001's views shared by other historians?
Also according to Avanzini 2016, p. 81, the word vocalizations Mukarrib and Makrub are both vocalizations of MKRB 𐩣𐩫𐩧𐩨 Abo Yemen (𓃵) 15:16, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Hi, apologies, probably should’ve discussed this first. I was going to detail the archaeological research in the theories section but it didn’t seem appropriate, and it seemed more logical to have that section first due to chronology. The section will be much shorter than the Sabaean influence one, but it is something sources on the origins of D’mt + Sabaean influence discuss. A less presumptive section title would be better though. I’ve got two journal articles from Fattovich to add and another one from 2023. Re social complexity, Yamauchi’s views are mainstream.
Both Harrower + D’Andrea and Phillipson present Mukarrib/Makrub as opposing POVs, are you saying Avanzini says Makrub is another word for Mukarrib? I’ll change the wording so not to present WP:FALSEBALANCE since mukarrib is the most common interpretation. Kowal2701 (talk) 15:57, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I can only ever find the first 20 pages of Avanzini online, so have just had to tag her POV onto Japp et al's from the quote you provided. At present it looks like the theories section is going to have 3/4 for assimilation and 1 for colonisation (indigenous adoption may get folded into assimilation or just the point be made that it's argued in tandem with other theories). Even looking at citations from more recent works I'm struggling to find more. Kowal2701 (talk) 16:17, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
If you can summarise Avanzini's views in a new paragraph that'd be really helpful Kowal2701 (talk) 16:19, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
@Kowal2701 ill try to when im back home 𐩣𐩫𐩧𐩨 Abo Yemen (𓃵) 16:37, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
@Kowal2701 did you look for it at Anna's Archive? if you did and couldn't find it ill email you a pdf version of it when im back home, just send me an email using the "email this user" button 𐩣𐩫𐩧𐩨 Abo Yemen (𓃵) 16:36, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
The page for Anna's Archive doesn't load for me unfortunately, that'd be really helpful thanks. I am trying very hard to be NPOV (despite my strong POV), if there are any bits that look a bit fishy or if it looks like my bias is creeping through, do raise it. Avanzini would be great though since the epigraphy section currently has too much Phillipson Kowal2701 (talk) 16:52, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
@Kowal2701 I'm back home. Where can I send you the PDF? 𐩣𐩫𐩧𐩨 Abo Yemen (𓃵) 19:08, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Lol my bad, I’ll email you Kowal2701 (talk) 19:11, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Actually you should be able to email me? Kowal2701 (talk) 19:12, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
@Kowal2701 I cant email you PDFs using wikipedia's special:email thing 🙂 𐩣𐩫𐩧𐩨 Abo Yemen (𓃵) 19:14, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Okay try Kowal2701 (talk) 19:31, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
sent 𐩣𐩫𐩧𐩨 Abo Yemen (𓃵) 20:01, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
@Kowal2701 I just came across this newly published article (Published less than a week ago) on the colonization stuff, that should be helpful here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0067270X.2025.2510762 𐩣𐩫𐩧𐩨 Abo Yemen (𓃵) 20:12, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Got it, thanks. Great find, that looks great. I had no idea about the inscriptions found in Somalia. While it's a bit outside the scope of the origins of dmt, but we can paraphrase The South Arabian presence in the Horn was never homogeneous in political, cultural or territorial terms. Although the available data are still limited, we can perhaps discern two different models: a proper colonialist one along the northern Somali seaboard, with direct intervention of the state and aimed at the extraction of resources, and a diasporic model in the northern Horn, led by élites who soon mixed with local people, while maintaining ties with their ancestral homeland. at the start of the section on influence or in theories. The stuff about Somalia can also be added to Sheba Kowal2701 (talk) 20:56, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@Abo Yemen and Pogenplain: Hi, I think the body of User:Kowal2701/Sabaeans in the Horn of Africa is pretty much done, are there any improvements you guys would make? Kowal2701 (talk) 20:14, 29 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I like ti just two things first of all make the lead longer and make a summary of the subject, like mentioning the main theories and the timing of the rise of social complexity, and second re name "Archaeological research predating 800 BCE" to i think something like "Rise of social complexity" or "Beginning of social complexity" Pogenplain (talk) 20:31, 29 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks, I was holding off writing the lead till the body was done. How about "Development of social complexity"? I did originally have it as "Evidence of social complexity prior to 800 BCE" but it seemed non-neutral and presumptive, especially since it comes before the Sabaean influence section Kowal2701 (talk) 20:35, 29 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
"Development of social complexity" go for it ! Pogenplain (talk) 02:32, 30 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I started an RM below Kowal2701 (talk) 12:32, 6 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Requested move 6 July 2025

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: no consensus. Minimal participation, opposed. (closed by non-admin page mover) CoconutOctopus talk 13:33, 30 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]


Sabaeans in the Horn of AfricaOrigins of Dʿmt and the role of Sabaeans – Fits the scope better (WP:PRECISE and WP:RECOGNISABLE) Kowal2701 (talk) 11:32, 6 July 2025 (UTC) — Relisting. TarnishedPathtalk 12:55, 13 July 2025 (UTC) — Relisting. TarnishedPathtalk 01:55, 21 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Note: WikiProject Arab world, WikiProject Western Asia, WikiProject Yemen, WikiProject Eritrea, WikiProject Ethiopia, WikiProject Ethnic groups, and WikiProject Ancient Near East have been notified of this discussion. TarnishedPathtalk 12:55, 13 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
weak oppose - This article was supposed to be an overview of the Sabaean presence in the Horn of Africa, regardless of the time period and its effects on the formation of D'mt, or at least this is what I thought that we were working on. I would say that this rm is bordering on, if not is already WP:AHIJACK. What about the post-D'mt presence of the Sabaeans in Somalia? Shouldn't it be included here? 𐩣𐩫𐩧𐩨 Abo Yemen (𓃵) 13:19, 13 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Think that would deserve a separate article, surprised we don’t have one already. The one source that discusses them both differentiates between them a lot, not sure it would make sense to cover both in the same main article. The scope’s ended up as it is because that’s what the scope of the sources was Kowal2701 (talk) 13:32, 13 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Also we didn’t know about the Somalia stuff until it was practically finished Kowal2701 (talk) 13:47, 13 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.