Garamantes

Map of the Roman Empire under Hadrian (ruled 117 – 138 AD), showing the location of the Garamantes kingdom, in the desert regions south of the Roman province of Africa proconsularis (Tunisia, Libya).

The Garamantes (Ancient Greek: Γαράμαντες, romanized: Garámantes; Latin: Garamantes) were ancient peoples, who may have descended from Berber tribes, Toubou tribes, and Saharan pastoralists[1][2][3] that settled in the Fezzan region by at least 1000 BC[4] and established a civilization that flourished until its end in the late 7th century AD.[5] The Garamantes first emerged as a major regional power in the mid-2nd century AD and established a kingdom that spanned roughly 180,000 km2 (70,000 sq mi) in the Fezzan region of southern Libya. Their growth and expansion was based on a complex and extensive qanat irrigation system (Berber: foggaras), which supported a strong agricultural economy and a large population. They subsequently developed the first urban society in a major desert that was not centered on a river system; their largest town, Garama, had a population of around four thousand, with an additional six thousand living in surrounding suburban areas.[1] At its pinnacle, the Garamantian kingdom established and maintained a "standard of living far superior to that of any other ancient Saharan society"[1] and was composed of "brilliant farmers, resourceful engineers, and enterprising merchants who produced a remarkable civilization."[1]

  1. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Keys was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Mattingly, D.J., ed. (2003). The Archaeology of Fazzan, Volume 1: Synthesis. Department of Antiquities, Tripoli. The Society for Libyan Studies. ISBN 9781900971027.
  3. ^ Kirwan, L.P. (1 November 1934). "Christianity and the Ḳura'án". The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology. Vol. 20. Sage Publications, Ltd. pp. 201–203. doi:10.2307/3854742. ISSN 0307-5133. JSTOR 3854742. S2CID 192397071.
  4. ^ Liverani, Mario (2003-10-01). Arid Lands in Roman Times. Papers from the International Conference (Rome, July 9th-10th 2001). All’Insegna del Giglio. ISBN 978-88-7814-266-4.
  5. ^ McDougall, E. Ann (25 February 2019). "Saharan Peoples and Societies". Oxford Research Encyclopedia of African History. Oxford Research Encyclopedias. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.013.285. ISBN 978-0-19-027773-4. S2CID 159184437.