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Fig. 1 - The Uan Muhuggiag
Fig. 2 - Microlithic Early |
In simple terms, the first human occupation at the end of the long hyper-arid phase marking the final millennia of the Pleistocene is characterized by small groups of hunter-gatherers, probably originating from regions to the south of the Acacus mountains. This hypothesis is confirmed by environmental evidence – the monsoons which bring water, and thus vegetation and animals, came from the south – and by palaeoanthropology: the most ancient burial (over 8000 years old), excavated in the early 1990s at Uan Muhuggiag, shows ‘Negroid’ features (Fig. 1). These small groups, probably fewer than 50 people, depended for survival on hunting Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia; waddan in Arabic), and on the exploitation of wild plant resources. The material culture of these groups, archaeologically defined as Early Acacus, consists in a variety of small stone tools (Fig. 2), made from rocks of varying quality found in different places, depending on the movements that these groups were forced to make. The most important sites, such as Uan Afuda (Fig. 3), Uan Tabu and Ti-n-Torha, radiocarbon dated to between ca. 10,000 and 9000 years ago, are found in the inner Acacus. Numerous seasonal camps are scattered along the shores of the ancient lakes in the ergs of Uan Kasa and Murzuq (Fig. 4). |
Fig. 3 - Windbreak at Uan Afuda, C14 dated |
Fig. 4 - Early Acacus site, covered by |
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The integrated study of settlement patterns, subsistence strategies and topography has allowed us to draw up a hypothetical ‘model’ of landscape use, based on longer stays in mountain areas, and seasonal camps in the lowlands (Fig. 5).
Fig. 5 - Early Acacus settlements system |
Fig. 6 - The very rare Barbary sheep, |
It is probable that these hunters had a complex ritual life, as indicated
by the extraordinary rock art engraved onto hundreds of walls in the Acacus
and Messak mountains, but this relationship remains to be proved.
The Late Acacus phase, dating to around 9000 to 7200 years ago, sees important
changes, despite some elements of continuity with the previous phase.
The organization
of settlements, and the social structure underlying it, tends to become more
sedentary. Mountain sites are inhabited for many months of the year and show
greater complexity. A sufficient food-supply is guaranteed not only by the
hunting of numerous large and medium-sized animals, but also of fish and
birds, which enter the archaeozoological record at this point. The first forms
of attempted domestication of wild species, such as Ammotragus lervia, which
is captured and fed but not killed immediately (Fig. 6), are documented in
the Acacus.
This ‘delayed’ use of animal resources gives rise to some important changes, evident also from the different exploitation of plants. The use of wild grains (Urochlea, Brachiaria, but also Sorghum) increases enormously; this change is also reflected in a substantial growth in the number of grinding stones, some of considerable size. At the beginning of this phase, another important technological change also occurs: the introduction of pottery. In some mountain sites (but also in lowland areas) fragments of pots of medium and large size dating to around 8900 years ago, decorated with techniques and styles known in many areas of the Sahara, have been found (Fig. 7).
Lithic industry becomes less refined, but the size and weight of individual objects increases significantly, in keeping with the growing need to work wood, and perhaps even soil. Thanks to the hyper-arid conditions which characterized these environments, some extraordinarily beautiful objects have been found, such as a wooden spatula with traces of red pigment at one end, and other artefacts in wood, horn and bone from more than 8000 years ago (Fig. 8).
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| Fig. 7 - Late Acacus pottery | Fig. 8 - Basketry, wooden, and horn tools from Uan Afuda |
It is difficult to define such a long period – nearly two millennia – in appropriate archaeological terms. Certainly cultural developments, social organization, and relations with neighbouring areas contributed to the enrichment of Late Acacus culture, later absorbed by pastoral civilizations. On the basis of the complex social organization of the Late Acacus phase, numerous scholars have suggested that the ‘Round Head’ style of rock art should be considered a product of these hunter-gatherers; in this instance, too, it is difficult to find concrete evidence to support this hypothesis.
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Italian-Libyan Archaeological Mission in the Acacus and Messak - Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza"
Via Palestro 63, 00185 Rome - Italy | Tel/Fax: [+39] 06.4467661 E-mail: info@acacus.it
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Missione Italiana nell'Acacus e Messak Università di Roma La Sapienza
