GARAMANTES

According to many archeologists, the Garamantes population was a regional power in the Sahara region between 900 BCE and 600 CE [i]. They were able merchants and innovative engineers. Thanks to their keen ability in engineering, they introduced an exclusive and valuable technology: the system of foggaras [ii].This system was made of underground bars which were used to drain water. When the foggaras ceased to function because of climate changes in the region, the population suffered from the lack of water which prompted its decline. Another factor in their eventual down was the invasion from their regional enemies, the Islamic Arabs [iii], specifically the Umayyad Caliphate [iv].

Thanks to their well-organized military force, the Garamantes had a wide influence on the region. There is evidence of their diplomatic relations with the Roman Empire. However, their interest and curiosity of neighboring civilizations led them to explore lands and led to eventual conflict with Rome. It is well-known that Romans have always wanted control of the trans-Saharan trade. Given this, when the Romans started their conquest of North Africa, they sent a military expedition [v] to defeat the Garamantes. The Garamantes military was their last and worst enemy. They invaded the Fezzan in 600 CE, eliminating the last king of Garama [vi].

The influence that Garamantes left in the modern Arab world is vast. The system of foggaras, which represents their legacy, is still used, and contributed to the creation of many oases in the desert. They were fine artists, and the structure of their funerary stone inspired an Italian-Libyan Archeological Mission in the Acacus and Messak [vii]. Thanks to this mission, the Acacus was included on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites [viii]. The population currently living in the Fezzan region inherited the Garamantes people’s positioning in the trans-Saharan trade routes and the courage to defend their lands.

The Garamantes civilization lacked a permanent settlement and adapted their life in desert areas nomadically. They built a unique society as a Berber kingdom made of many families and ruled by a code of honor. There was also a council (jamāʿah) [ix] that was tasked with maintaining peace. The structure of their ruling system was hierarchical, and they were ruled by a king. The philosophy known as ‘Pliny’ identified two castes: the aristocrats and the vassals. According to other sources, three main castes were identified: warriors, traders, and engineers. They also enslaved people to cultivate camps and pry out precious stones.

The history of this mysterious and complex kingdom has been handed down from Greek and Roman sources. The name Garamantes is a Greek name that was adopted by Romans. Research about this kingdom is not over yet and many call them the “lost” civilization [x]. They founded an Amazigh kingdom in the Sahara and their influence was extended to eight major towns with the capital in Jarma. Their language was particularly difficult to translate and contained animal sounds (similar to the shrieking of bats) [xi]. Even if they lived in a desert, they imported luxury goods, a signal of their taste and elegance [xii].

From what is known about the Garamantes, three key accomplishments stand out in the civilization’s story. The first is their elaborate underground irrigation system. They used this system of tunnels called “foggaras” [xiii] to take full advantage of the fossil water. Thanks to this system, which is still used today, their period was a peak in oasis cultivation. They settled in the desert and created big villages and a well-structured society, defended by warriors. Their kingdom established diplomatic relations with Rome and fought for its freedom. Lastly, they were fine traders, and gave a new impulse to the trade of precious stones.

The Garamantes Civilization’s economy was based primarily on agriculture and pastoralism. Garamantes mastered a sophisticated form of cultivation, consisting of the creation of square fortifications around their lands. They had extensive cultivation of grapevine, wheat, and barley crops. Thanks to their prowess in the trade of manufacturing goods, they expanded their control over one of the major Saharan routes between sub-Saharan Africa and the Libyan coast [xiv]. They traded ivory, livestock, and gold. The people of the Garamantes kingdom were specialists in the creation of semi-precious stones like Red Carnelia and Amazonlite. There was also local production systems of pottery and salt.