User:Kagamid

== Origins and Early Development ==

== Origins and Early Development ==

[[File:ISS023-E-22597 - View of Earth.jpg|thumb|right|300px| [[Ras Hafun|Ras hafun peninsula]]]]

[[File:ISS023-E-22597 - View of Earth.jpg|thumb|right|400px| [[Ras Hafun|Ras hafun peninsula]]]]

The earliest roots of ancient coastal Somali cities can be traced to [[Hafun]], a prominent [[Proto-Somali]] settlement located on the [[Ras Hafun|Ras Hafun peninsula]] in the [[Bari, Somalia|Bari region]] of present-day [[Puntland]], northeastern Somalia. Hafun (Xaafuun), also known as Ras Hafun, is the [[Extreme points of Africa|easternmost point]] of the [[Africa|African continent]]. It forms a prominent rocky [[peninsula]] extending into the [[Indian Ocean]], approximately 25 kilometers in length. The cape is connected to the mainland by a long, narrow [[sand]]-[[Spit (landform)|spit]] or [[tombolo]], about 20 kilometers long, which encloses a large coastal [[lagoon]] on its northern side. This lagoon, historically referred to as Khor Hordiyo, was once used for extensive [[salt]] extraction, with the village of Hordiyo located nearby on the mainland. There is a minor anchorage on the northern side of the Ras Hafun peninsula, suitable during the southern [[monsoon]], while the main historical anchorage lies on the southern side, where remnants of ancient salt-processing and loading facilities are still visible <ref>Chittick, Neville. An Archaeological Reconnaissance of the Horn: The British-Somali Expedition (1976), p. 120. [https://www.ancientportsantiques.com/wp-content/uploads/Documents/PLACES/IndOc-Gulf/Somalia-Chittick1976.pdf Ancient Ports & Antiquities].</ref>.

The earliest roots of ancient coastal Somali cities can be traced to [[Hafun]], a prominent [[Proto-Somali]] settlement located on the [[Ras Hafun|Ras Hafun peninsula]] in the [[Bari, Somalia|Bari region]] of present-day [[Puntland]], northeastern Somalia. Hafun (Xaafuun), also known as Ras Hafun, is the [[Extreme points of Africa|easternmost point]] of the [[Africa|African continent]]. It forms a prominent rocky [[peninsula]] extending into the [[Indian Ocean]], approximately 25 kilometers in length. The cape is connected to the mainland by a long, narrow [[sand]]-[[Spit (landform)|spit]] or [[tombolo]], about 20 kilometers long, which encloses a large coastal [[lagoon]] on its northern side. This lagoon, historically referred to as Khor Hordiyo, was once used for extensive [[salt]] extraction, with the village of Hordiyo located nearby on the mainland. There is a minor anchorage on the northern side of the Ras Hafun peninsula, suitable during the southern [[monsoon]], while the main historical anchorage lies on the southern side, where remnants of ancient salt-processing and loading facilities are still visible <ref>Chittick, Neville. An Archaeological Reconnaissance of the Horn: The British-Somali Expedition (1976), p. 120. [https://www.ancientportsantiques.com/wp-content/uploads/Documents/PLACES/IndOc-Gulf/Somalia-Chittick1976.pdf Ancient Ports & Antiquities].</ref>.

Hafun occupies one of the most strategic positions along the [[Coastline of Somalia|Somali coast]] and is considered the oldest ancient city on the [[Horn of Africa|peninsula]]. Situated at the easternmost tip of Africa and the [[Hafun District|northeasternmost point of Somalia]], Hafun has held historical significance for centuries. To the northeast, it faces the [[Guardafui Channel]], connecting maritime routes to the [[Far East]] and [[Socotra|Socotra island]]; to the north lies the [[Arabian Sea]], and to the south, the broader Indian Ocean. Its natural [[harbor]] and proximity to [[Deep sea|deep-sea]] currents made it an ideal hub for early maritime activity. In 1976, British archaeologist [[Neville Chittick]] led a joint Somali–British archaeological expedition to Ras Hafun, including the historic town of Hafun itself. This expedition uncovered crucial evidence shedding light on the development of ancient Somali coastal settlements through [[Archaeological excavation|excavations]] at two key locations: the Hafun West Site and the Hafun Main Site.

Hafun occupies one of the most strategic positions along the [[Coastline of Somalia|Somali coast]] and is considered the oldest ancient city on the [[Horn of Africa|peninsula]]. Situated at the easternmost tip of Africa and the [[Hafun District|northeasternmost point of Somalia]], Hafun has held historical significance for centuries. To the northeast, it faces the [[Guardafui Channel]], connecting maritime routes to the [[Far East]] and [[Socotra|Socotra island]]; to the north lies the [[Arabian Sea]], and to the south, the broader Indian Ocean. Its natural [[harbor]] and proximity to [[Deep sea|deep-sea]] currents made it an ideal hub for early maritime activity. In 1976, British archaeologist [[Neville Chittick]] led a joint Somali–British archaeological expedition to Ras Hafun, including the historic town of Hafun itself. This expedition uncovered crucial evidence shedding light on the development of ancient Somali coastal settlements through [[Archaeological excavation|excavations]] at two key locations: the Hafun West Site and the Hafun Main Site.

== Ancient Hafun ==

[[File:Anciet ruins of Hafun.png|thumb|right|400px|[[Bronze Age]] ([[2nd millennium BC|2nd millennium BCE]]) [[ruins]] of a [[human settlement|settlement]] in [[Hafun]], discovered by [[Neville Chittick]] during the 1977 archaeological expedition to the Ras Hafun peninsula. The findings provide evidence of an early settlement in this coastal city during [[Ancient history|ancient times]] by a [[Proto-Somali|proto-Somalid]] population.]]

Ancient Hafun refers to the earliest historical period in which the city of Hafun developed into a coastal settlement and [[Urban area|urban center]]. This period marks the beginning of [[urbanization]] and maritime trade in [[History of Somalia|Somalia's history]], particularly in the northern regions ([[Somaliland]] and [[Puntland]]). Hafun emerged as a major coastal settlement and became a center for early [[Seamanship|seafaring]], [[shipbuilding]], [[navigation]], and [[commerce|commercial exchange]]. Archaeological evidence suggests that Hafun's origins may date back to the [[Bronze Age]], as indicated by large enclosed [[Enclosure (archaeology)|stone constructions]], [[Stone circle|stone circles,]] and [[Timber circle|timber circles]] and remains of ancient [[Dry stone|drystone walls]], houses with [[Courtyard|courtyards]], and the location of the old harbour dating to the [[2nd millennium BC|2nd millennium BCE]] and [[1st millennium BC]]. During the [[3rd millennium BC|3rd millennium BCE]], Hafun is believed to have served as the commercial and trading center of the [[Land of Punt]] [[civilization]]. The name of the ancient civilization of Punt ([[Egyptian language|Egyptian]]: ‎''pwnt'' [[File:Pwente.png|40px]]; also rendered as Pwene, Pwnn-nt, or Pwnnt) is believed by many [[Scholar|scholars]] to be the old name for the city of Hafun, which later came to be known to the [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greeks]] during the [[Classical antiquity|Classical]], [[Hellenistic period|Hellenistic]], and Late Antiquity periods as [[Opone]]. The Greek name Opone ({{langx|grc|Ὀπώνη ἐμπόριον}})

(also recorded as Opunê, Pouên, or Opunt) is thought to represent a [[Hellenization|Hellenized]] version of the Egyptian name Pwnt (Punt) and refers to Hafun <ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Pharmacographia|first1=Friedrich August|last1=Flückiger|first2=Daniel|last2=Hanbury|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9781108069304|date=2014-03-20|page=136|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iTTeAgAAQBAJ&q=opone+punt&pg=PA136}}</ref>. Various scholars have proposed different locations for the Kingdom of Punt, including the northern Somali coast (in modern-day [[Djibouti]], Somaliland, and Puntland) while other suggest [[Ethiopian Highlands|northern Ethiopia]], [[Eritrea]], northeastern Sudan, and southern Arabia. However, archaeological and geographical evidence increasingly supports the theory that Punt referred to by the ancient Egyptians as “the Land of Punt” was situated in the Somali Peninsula, rather than in [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabia]]. Although the Land of Punt was a kingdom, its major trading center and coastal settlement is widely believed to have been Hafun. Hafun served as a key export hub for valuable goods most notably aromatic resins such as myrrh, frankincense, and incense from ancient Somalia to ancient Egypt, while Egyptian goods were imported through this same port.

Punt is first recorded in [[Egyptian literature|Egyptian texts]] as early as the [[Fourth Dynasty of Egypt|4th Dynasty]] during the reign of [[Khufu|Pharaoh Khufu]], when [[gold]] from Punt reached Egypt. This marked the beginning of long-distance maritime trade between ancient Egypt and the Puntite civilization in the Horn of Africa. In the [[25th century BC|25th century BCE]], [[Sahure|Pharaoh Sahure]] organized the first known expedition to Punt. This voyage brought back significant quantities of aromatic resins, including large amounts of myrrh, frankincense, incense, as well as [[malachite]] and [[electrum]]. Sahure proudly commemorated the success of this expedition with a relief in his [[Pyramid of Sahure|mortuary temple]], where he is shown tending a [[myrrh]] [[tree]]—a symbolic act representing the integration of Puntite resources into Egyptian life. This is notably the only known scene in Egyptian art that depicts a pharaoh [[gardening]]. In the [[Old World|ancient world]], aromatic resins were primarily sourced from the northern Somali coast, particularly from what is today [[Puntland]] and Somaliland. This region, rich in natural aromatic flora, was the historical center of [[resin]] production and export in Africa.

= Hafun West and Main Site =

= Hafun West and Main Site =