The site of Lalibela comprises thirteen rock-hewn churches which UNESCO placed in the World Heritage list in 1978. It has since gained worldwide fame as a tourist attraction while also remaining a historical riddle which challenges our understanding. The historical and archaeological mission in Lalibela comprises specialists in archaeology, history, art history, liturgy, geomorphology and geophysics. Applying these different disciplines, the researchers have been working together for a better understanding of the site in its long term history.

The aim of the archaeological mission in Lalibela is to reconstruct the whole historical development of this site from the earliest traces of occupation up to the recent restoration works it has undergone, while attempting to situate in time the important periods during which the site developped, above all during the reign of King Lalibela. By analysing the rock out of which the churches were hewn, the debris piled up as a result of the excavations, the visible traces of modifications and further diggings made, the manuscripts, paintings and objects preserved in the churches, the team has already produced a number of results. Several phases of hewing have been identified, which indicates that the thirteen churches were not hewn in one phase. The exhibition "Lalibela : history and archaeology" presents the methods and the results which have already been acquired. A map of the whole site showing the different levels cut into the rock, the developments in the surrounding areas (graves, post-holes) and the topographical context of the site has been drawn. This is a fundamental tool towards further research. Based on data graciously provided by UNESCO and the World Monuments Fund, this map has been completed by observations made by the historical and archaeological mission in Lalibela. The first archaeological excavations ever undertaken in Lalibela began in 2010 A.D. They will continue in the coming years.

This mission is the result of cooperation between the French Institutions (French Centre for Ethiopian Studies [ CFEE], National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research [INRAP], National Centre for Scientific Research [CNRS]) and, on the other hand, the Ethiopian Institutions (Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage [ARCCH], Office for Culture and Tourism of Lalibela), as well as the International Institutions (UNESCO, World Monuments Fund). It is funded by the CFEE, INRAP, CNRS, ANR Cornafrique and the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs.