ERITREA: A pair of ancient churches first discovered more than a century ago was reexamined using modern excavation and dating techniques. The structures are located in the port of Adulis in territory that once belonged to the Kingdom of Aksum. The Aksumites controlled a powerful empire covering much of northeast Africa and southern Arabia during the 1st millennium A.D. In the 4th century A.D., the Aksumite king Ezana converted to Christianity. The 2 churches, now securely dating to between the 5th and 7th centuries A.D., are among the earliest Christian buildings in the region.