Between the Mediterranean and the Sahara: geoarchaeological reconnaissance in the Jebel Gharbi, Libya

Abstract

Intensive survey and three sample sections at Jebel Gharbi in north-west Libya offer a new dated sequence of the environment, and the human presence within it, from the Middle Stone Age to the early Holocene. Hunter-gatherers were continuously active, including during the hitherto elusive Later Stone Age.

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“…Not unexpectedly, the diversity of tool classes and types mainly is similar to those recorded for the 1950s Iberomaurusian collections ( Figure 36; Roche 1963;Olszeand Belhouchet 2008) between the Great Eastern Sand Sea and Mediterranean coast of Algeria and Tunisia; Zaouïa elKebira (Chavaillon 1960) and Hassi Ouchtat (Chavaillon 1985) in Wadi Saoura, western Algeria; Uan Afuda in the Tadrart Acacus Mountains of western Libya (Cremaschi et al 1998) Barich et al 2006;Barich and Garcea 2008). The relevant material from the Haua Fteah in Cyrenaica, Libya, is also equivocal both in regards to its classification as either Mousterian or Aterian, and the nature of the excavation units employed (McBurney 1967: 105-134).…”

“…Furthermore, in many key regions-especially in the Sahara-most data come from surface contexts (e.g., Caton-Thompson 1946; Cremaschi et al 1998: 279-208;Pasty 1999;Hawkins 2004Hawkins , 2008Barich et al 2006;Barich and Garcea 2008) and many collections were either acquired before the advent of modern excavation standards or have an insufficient amount of material for comparison. It is for these reasons that we do not include lithic data from the collections like Dar es-Soltane I (Ruhlman 1951;Roche 1956), Mugharet al-Aliya (Howe 1967;Bouzouggar et al 2002), Aïn Fritissa (Tixier 1958(Tixier -1959 and Station Météo (Wengler 1997) in the area from the Atlantic coast of Morocco to the Oujda Mountains; Koudiat Bou Gherara (Cadenat 1953) and Bérard (Vaufrey 1955) near the Atlas Tellien Mountains of northern Algeria; Oued Djouf el-Djemel (Morel 1978), Bir el-Ater (Oued Djebbana) (Reygasse 1921(Reygasse -1922Morel 1974), Aïn Métherchem (Vaufrey 1955) and Aïn El-Guettar (Gruet 1958(Gruet -1959; Aouadi-Abdeljaouad occur naturally in the immediate proximity and thus had to be transported to the site (Bouzouggar 1997), these low ratios are the results of the movement of fine grain artifacts in and out of the site.…”

Ecological Patterns in the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene in the Jebel Gharbi, Northern Libya: Chronology, Climate and Human Occupation

“…To the east, the upper valley of the Wadi Ghan shows a deposit of alluvial origin with Middle Stone Age artefacts. The gravels containing Middle Stone Age material are covered by lava flows which separate the Early Middle Stone Age from the Aterian deposits and, therefore, provide a relative sequence with the Early Middle Stone Age that is much older than the Aterian (Barich et al , 2006Garcea 2004aGarcea , 2004bGarcea , 2006Giraudi 2005).…”

“…BP. The other dates should be referred to the Final Later Stone Age and are ∼11,000 years bp Barich et al 1996Barich et al , 2006 (Table 1).…”

New Data on the Late Pleistocene of the Shakshuk Area, Jebel Gharbi , Libya

“…Since the 1990s Barbara Barich (University of Rome "La Sapienza") has taken an interest in the area and has been leading and coordinating an Italian and Libyan joint research project which was set up to define the cultural sequence of the region. In the last 10 years Barich's team has identified many sites indicating an important presence of hunter-gatherer settlements in the area after 20,000 BP (Barich 2006;Barich et al 2006).…”