Site 09/004 9 / 10 EAP265: The tifinagh rock inscriptions in the Tadrart Acacus mountains (SW Libya): an unknown endangered heritage The Tadrart Acacus is a massif averaging 150km long and 50km wide located in the Fazzan region, in the south western corner of Libya. Italian archaeological research carried out over the last fifty years has already illuminated the richness of the archaeological and rock art heritage of the area, which has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. Nevertheless, previous research has focused mainly on prehistory and on the Holocene paintings and engravings of the region whilst leaving aside a systematic investigation of the historical rock inscriptions which also occur throughout the massif. Valuable and astonishing remains dating to historical times are undoubtedly represented by these writings incised along the cliffs that cross the massif. Vaguely described as tifinagh inscriptions, a Tuareg word indicating the traditional writing still in use throughout the Sahara desert, they are a remarkable record related to the history, both ancient and modern, of the Acacus mountains. According to research carried out in other North African regions (i.e. Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Algeria), the age of those scripts ranges from the second century BC up to current times. In contrast to what has been done elsewhere, the Libyan rock scripts of the Tadrart Acacus have never been the object of systematic recording, even though they represent a unique and available archive of inscribed material from the Garamantian period up to the present time. The location of these inscriptions, which have been reported in the course of several archaeological surveys, is known but no real cataloguing or photographic campaign has been carried out so far. The written records are carved in rock walls and range from a simple short incised line to longer, articulated inscriptions which constitute a crucial source of the individual and social memory of the communities that have been living in the area over the last two millennia. The rock of the Acacus has allowed for the preservation of a unique palimpsest of written documentation, from the Old Libyan up to the present times. In the last decade the area has been severely threatened by the increasing number of tourists visiting an environment which is extremely fragile and not well suited to hosting such numbers. This phenomenon has already led to the damage of some of the most beautiful and easily accessible rock art galleries, having a strong impact on rock walls which include the inscriptions. Each year this situation is getting worse, in spite of the efforts of the local management authority. This is especially true for those areas which are close to the main passageways through the mountain, which means the mountain passes and the rock walls close to the principal routes crossing the Acacus, and those places where water is available. Unfortunately, these areas are also the places where long historical inscriptions most frequently occur. This means that they are constantly at risk. Moreover, in the last fifteen years, the whole region has experienced a strong impact due to oil exploration and exploitation. The Messak Settafet (located to the NW of the Acacus, but culturally related to it), has been seriously affected by seismic lines and oil fields that have badly damaged part of the plateau area and its archaeological heritage. Oil Surveys have also been carried out in the area surrounding the oasis of Ghat, directly adjacent to the Acacus mountains, and certainly represent a further threat. The aim of the project is to identify, locate, catalogue, photograph and document the state of conservation of all the rock inscriptions along the four main passes through the Acacus mountains crossed from ancient times. This includes rock walls related to the main caravan routes and to the places where water is available, which will be the richest areas in inscriptions and the most endangered. This will provide a digital archive of the written records. The work will be carried out with the collaboration of the Libyan Department of Antiquities in Tripoli and with the Jarma Archaeological Museum, which is the local institution in charge of the management of the cultural heritage of the area. This will contribute to raising the awareness of local personnel of the importance of safeguarding and archiving this kind of written documentation in their region. The seeming durability of stone no longer ensures the preservation of these remains, and under the pressure of contemporary exigencies this neglected part of past and present life requires urgent recording. EAP265/1: Digital images of Tifinagh inscriptions at the Acacus Mountains in Libya, created during fieldwork by the Italian-Libyan Archeaological Mission in the Acacus and Messak Digital photographs of the Tifinagh inscriptions found in the Acacus mountains, created by the Italian-Libyan Archaeological Mission in the Acacus and Messak from October to December 2009. 111 sites with Tifinagh inscriptions were identified by the team, and high-quality digital photographs were taken of the inscriptions and their supports. The inscriptions are thought to date from 400 BC up to the modern age, with three periods being coarsely distinguishable: earliest inscriptions includes both the Garamantian civilization (400 B.C – 400 AD) and later centuries as well, before the diffusion of Islamic religion (up to 900 AD); others date back to a poorly known ‘Islamic age’, that cannot be defined yet in its chronological terms, approximately ranging from 900 - 1800 AD. Tifinagh inscriptions are engraved onto and/or painted on rock shelters, rock walls, boulders, and their supports are either sandstone boulders, sabs, or cliff surfaces. As with the chronology, it has not yet been possible to completely identify the language(s) which form the inscriptions, although the Tifinagh script is used to express Libyco-Berber languages. EAP265/1/4: Site 09/004 EXTENT: LEVEL: File SCOPE AND CONTENT: Sandstone boulder (830 x 730 x 450) Position: 25.72466N and 10.40772E. Altitude: 682 m. Area: wadi Irlarlaren. Physiograpy: wadi bottom. Location: edge of the wadi. Inscription technique: Pecking CREATOR The Italian-Libyan Archaeological Mission in the Acacus and Messak, at the Sapienza University of Rome, 20th century- LANGUAGE(S) Undetermined SCRIPT(S) Code for uncoded script TERMS OF USE Access is for research purposes only
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 11:45:52 +0000
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