Desert Migrations Project XVIII: The archaeology of the northern Fazzan. A preliminary report

Abstract

The first reconnaissance survey of the Wadi ash-Shati, the northernmost line of the oases of the Fazzan, was carried out in 2007 and 2008. This survey aimed to locate archaeological sites of the Garamantian and historic periods in a region that, despite being on record as the most populated of the Fazzan in the historic period, was never previously systematically surveyed. Following the field survey, further examination of high-resolution satellite imagery was carried out. This allowed for the discovery of more sites and the detailed tracing of a number of cemeteries that were only partially surveyed during fieldwork. The report presents the first cross-chronological map of the Wadi ash-Shati and some interpretations of the history of occupation of the area. The future investigation of specific sites, a structured dating programme and further, more detailed, study of historic sources will provide a fuller understanding of this region.

High and Medium Resolution Satellite Imagery to Evaluate Late Holocene Human–Environment Interactions in Arid Lands: A Case Study from the Central Sahara

“…These are characterized by a stone enceinte that delimits the perimeter of the settled area. Some of these forts are located on hilltops, consistent with those already noted in the Wadi el Ajal [21] and Wadi ash-Shati [5]. These forts reportedly have a long history of occupation, commonly from historic to medieval times but occasionally to the modern period.…”

“…Most of the features identified consist of well-delimited single structures (e.g., tomb, hilltop fort), although some more enigmatic (e.g., enclosures) or complex or composite features (e.g., modern pastoral campsite with a number of features within it) are less easily defined. To minimize the risk of misidentification (issue ii), we rely on operators' knowledge acquired through fieldwork in neighbouring areas of the SW Fazzan [1,9,29], Wadi ash-Shati region [5,64,65], and Fadnoun range [66]. Direct experience of comparable archaeological evidence, coupled with information from published data, reduces the risk of misidentification and incorrect chronological attribution (issue iii), especially in view of the relatively high standardization of the majority of Saharan monuments and features.…”

“…1000BC-AD700) forts, outposts, and compounds [4,5,[20][21][22] has shed light on a complex network of trade within the region, that further developed in medieval times [23,24]. In spite of this body of work, knowledge of the distribution of archaeological sites from the last 5000 years in the central Sahara is patchy, although recent work has started systematically mapping and cataloguing sites that are visible from high-resolution satellite imagery [4,5,25]. Despite the lack of refined chronological assessment and inevitable de-contextualization of the archaeological record, this approach has populated large "empty" spaces, enabling systematic analysis of site categories and spatial distributions and setting a powerful basis for future field and remote investigations.…”

The origins and development of Zuwīla, Libyan Sahara: an archaeological and historical overview of an ancient oasis town and caravan centre

“…It is notable in this context that many oases have had a pattern of shifting settlement (e.g. Kawār and Djado-Lange and Berthoud 1977;Fazzān-Mattingly 2007;Sterry and Mattingly 2011;Merlo et al 2013;Ghāt-Liverani 2006 and al-Jufra).…”

“…Some outlying Garamantian centres, like Aghram Nadharif and Fewet near Ghāt (Liverani 2006;Mori 2014), had undergone significant decline (or abandonment) by the sixth century. Archaeological survey elsewhere in the heartlands of the Garamantes, in the Wādī al-Ajāl, the Wādī ashShāṭ ī and the Murzuq Basin, have shown an increasing emphasis on defensive structures at Garamantian settlements; in the Murzuq area at least this was linked to an expansion of settlement (Edwards 2001;Sterry and Mattingly 2011;Merlo et al 2013). Further north in the Libyan pre-desert the gradual withdrawal of Roman forts and of the garrison settlements of al-Qurayyāt al-Gharbīya (Mackensen 2012) and Bū Nijīm (Mattingly 1995: 95-97) was accompanied by a general thinning of increasingly fortified farming settlements in the Libyan valleys (Barker 1996: 166-167).…”