The Fezzan Project 2001: Preliminary report on the fifth season of work

Abstract

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Cultural heritage and conflict: The threatened archaeology of Western Sahara

“…Brooks et al refer to this as a V-type monument, although it is different in construction from the V-type monuments described by Gautier et al 23 The Bir Lahlou monument is of the same construction as a monument recorded in the Libyan Fezzan by Gautier and Gautier, 24 and very similar to monuments recorded in the Fezzan a number of other authors. 25,26,27 These monuments are variously described as 'V-shaped' monuments or as 'antenna tombs'. 28 Cultural connections with the central and eastern Sahara are also demonstrated by the widespread depictions of cattle in rock paintings and engravings, and by the presence of dotted wavy line pottery, identified in 2005.…”

Sensitivity of radar backscatter to desert surface roughness

“…These palaeolakedominated interdunes are rich in Holocene and Pleistocene archaeological materials, and contain important fossiliferous terrestrial records of palaeoclimate. It is important to locate and survey these sites as quickly as possible, as growing tourism in the region is leading to rapid degradation and loss of an important archaeological record (Mattingly et al 2000(Mattingly et al , 2001. Optical remote sensing systems fail to detect many duricrust sites, as the mineralogy of many duricrusts is similar to the surrounding dune sands.…”

Monitoring vegetation change in desert oases by remote sensing; a case study in the Libyan Fazzān

“…After 3000 BP the Wadl al-Hayat became the focus of the Garamantes Tribal Confederation, which was the major power in the region until around 1500 BP (Mattingly it al. 2001).…”

“…Garamantean civilisation was sustained by irrigation technology based onfoggara, subterranean irrigation channels similar to the qanats of Persia and Arabia. These were constructed to tap the higher water table at the foot of the escarpment on the southern edge of the Wadl al-Hayat; water was then gravity-fed along the joggara to the soils of the Wadl centre for agricultural use (Mattingly et al 2001). At present it is uncertain whether the demise of the Garamantes was the result of a lowering of the groundwater table to a depth at which foggara-based irrigation was untenable, or to some other factors, such as war, social or economic changes.…”