Traces of the ancient Eritrean civilization are scarce.
The royal university of Parma, founded in 1601 by Ranuccio I., and reconstituted by Philip of Bourbon in 1768, has faculties in law, medicine and natural science, and possesses an observatory, and natural science collections, among which is the Eritrean Zoological Museum.
Eritrea has now approximately the same extent as before the revolt of Bath-Agos, except in regard (I) to Kassala, which was transferred to the Anglo-Egyptian authorities on the 25th of December 1897, lfl pursuance of the above-mentioned Anglo-Italian convention; and (2) to slight rectifications of its northern and eastern boundaries by conventions concluded between the Eritrean and the Anglo-Egyptian authorities.
Kassala is on the river Gash east of the Atbara and near the Eritrean frontier.
Crispi's uncompromising suppression of disorder, and his refusal to abandon either the Triple Alliance or the Eritrean colony, or to forsake his colleague Sonnino, caused a breach between him and the radical leader Cavallotti.