Book contents
- Urbanisation and State Formation in the Ancient Sahara and Beyond
- The Trans-saharan Archaeology Series
- Urbanisation and State Formation in the Ancient Sahara and Beyond
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Preface
- Part I Introduction
- Part II Oasis Origins in the Sahara: A Region-by-Region Survey
- 2 Garamantian Oasis Settlements in Fazzan
- 3 Pre-Islamic Oasis Settlements in the Eastern Sahara
- 4 The Urbanisation of Egypt’s Western Desert under Roman Rule
- 5 Pre-Islamic Oasis Settlements in the Northern Sahara
- 6 Pre-Islamic Oasis Settlements in the North-Western Sahara
- 7 Pre-Islamic Oasis Settlements in the Southern Sahara
- 8 Discussion
- Part III Neighbours and Comparanda
- Part IV Concluding Discussion
- Index
- References
7 - Pre-Islamic Oasis Settlements in the Southern Sahara
from Part II - Oasis Origins in the Sahara: A Region-by-Region Survey
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 March 2020
- Urbanisation and State Formation in the Ancient Sahara and Beyond
- The Trans-saharan Archaeology Series
- Urbanisation and State Formation in the Ancient Sahara and Beyond
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Preface
- Part I Introduction
- Part II Oasis Origins in the Sahara: A Region-by-Region Survey
- 2 Garamantian Oasis Settlements in Fazzan
- 3 Pre-Islamic Oasis Settlements in the Eastern Sahara
- 4 The Urbanisation of Egypt’s Western Desert under Roman Rule
- 5 Pre-Islamic Oasis Settlements in the Northern Sahara
- 6 Pre-Islamic Oasis Settlements in the North-Western Sahara
- 7 Pre-Islamic Oasis Settlements in the Southern Sahara
- 8 Discussion
- Part III Neighbours and Comparanda
- Part IV Concluding Discussion
- Index
- References
Summary
The southern oases of the Sahara can be split into two broad groups. First, there are a series located in and around the Saharan mountain ranges. From east to west these are: Ennedi, Tibesti, Aïr, Tassili n’Ajjer, Ahaggar and Adrar des Ilforas. These massifs receive higher levels of rainfall than other parts of the Sahara, resulting in seasonal rivers that feed permanent bodies of water (small lakes or pools/gueltas) or that support a high water table beneath the wadi beds. There are still populations of crocodiles living in Ennedi and nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century reports of them also in Ahaggar and Tibesti. However, these areas have traditionally been primarily exploited by pastoralists and they have little suitable land for oasis agriculture and highly variable rainfall. The dynamic wadi systems may also be a factor in the poor preservation of archaeological remains with less sturdy or older constructions either swept away or buried under sediment.
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- Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2020