bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Accessibility, Mobility and Spatial Patterns of Primary Health Care use in Ajedabiya: a Household Interview Survey
Authors: Salem Salem F.
Published: February 2016

The primary objective of this study is to examine the type of Primary Health Care (PHC) facility used by a sample of households in Ajedabiya, taking into account the respondents' living standards and their perception of the quality of the care provided, as well as the mode of travel and travel time required to reach the health care centres. The overall level of service use has been increasing over time, reaching an annual consultation rate of up to four visits per person per year, a high level by international standards. Three major groupings of disease were identified for which the four selected PHC facilities were preferred. Satisfaction with care was analysed by looking at key variables, including staff behaviour, availability of doctors, vector distance to the PHC facility, general evaluation of health services and qualified doctors. Household incomes did not appear to be an important factor except for attending private clinics. Unlike income, distance had a strong effect on utilisation, leading to the conclusion that PHC should continue to be provided within the community, and developed further to achieve equity, effectiveness and affordability.
The Arabic Inscriptions on the Mosque of Abū Macrūf at Sharwas
Authors: Nefusa Jebel , Lowick N. M.
Published: February 2016

The medieval town of Sharwas – sometimes written Sharūs or Sarūs – figures in the writings of Ibn al-Warrāq (10th century A.D.), Ibn Hauqāl (10th century), al-Bakri (11th century), al-Idrīsi (12th century) and the anonymous author of the Kitāb al-Istibṣār (12th century). All are agreed that it was an important place, the chief settlement (umm qura) of the Jebel Nefusa. It had no congregational mosque (jāmic), but was one of the two towns in the Jebel provided with a minbār or pulpit. The name Abū Macrūf, as applied to the mosque and the surrounding ruins, does not appear in the medieval sources but certainly goes back many centuries in oral tradition. It refers to Abū Macrūf Wiyār ibn Jawād, a famous religious figure of the later 9th century who lived a short distance to the south-east of Sharwas and who was present at the battle of Mānū in A.H. 283/A.D. 896 - 7.

A preliminary note on Sharwas and its mosque has already appeared in the Second Annual Report of this Society (pp. 10 - 11). There are no less than sixteen monumental inscriptions carved on separate blocks of stone outside and inside the Mosque. Most important for the dating of the structure is the two line inscription (no. 1, pl. VIa) in the tympanum of the west doorway. This is in the ornamented variety of Kufic usually referred to as ‘floriated’ The style is decidedly ‘provincial’ and does little credit to the engraver. Nevertheless it is possible to discern, in such features as the trifoliate ending to the dāl of waḥdahu in the first line, points of resemblance to the later of the two monumental inscriptions from Ajdābiyah published in the Society's Third Annual Report (p. 5, Pl. VIIIb). This is dated A.H. 351/A.D. 962. If it is true, as there suggested, that the floriated style was introduced into Libya between c. 922 and 962 A.D., then the inscription over the doorway at Sharwas is unlikely to be earlier than the second half of the the 10th century, allowing for the town's somewhat isolated position in the Tripolitanian hinterland. It may, indeed, be as late as the 12th century, if the present Mosque postdates the destruction of Sharwas, c. 1100.
A description of its present condition and its course
Authors: Arthur C.
Published: February 2016

The Ptolemais aqueduct is of a type common in the ancient world. It consists of a concrete channel, several layers thick, though this seems to vary (see Pl. XIVa and sections), which is set in a framework of roughly-dressed, mortared stone. The channel itself rests in a bed of mortar which in turn is based either on stone foundations or the Gebel bed rock (see Pl. XIII and sections). The upper surface of the supporting framework was cemented on each side like the channel itself. Throughout the aqueduct's length the channel width varies considerably, but averages about 0·40 m.

The country through which the aqueduct passes on the north side of the Gebel Akhdar is arid, stony and covered with often dense scrub. A series of wadis running from the Gebel to the sea cuts the twenty-four kilometres between Wadi Habbun, where the aqueduct begins its course, and Tolmeita where it completes it. To carry the water for Ptolemais over these wadis bridges were constructed.

The condition of the aqueduct varies throughout its length. In some places, such as between Wadis Habbun and El-Meleca, it runs continuously for over one kilometre, but for the same distance on the east side of Sidi Belgasem it cannot be traced. Some pieces of it are complete and with only minor repairs would be ready for use but in other places only the channel or stone framework remain. Nevertheless it is possible to follow the aqueduct's course from Wadi Habbun to the city walls of Ptolemais. Only its actual source in Wadi Habbun, its course in Wadi El-Meleca, and in Wadi El Rumman, and its disappearance at the city walls raise questions as yet unanswered.
The Painted Wallplaster from House H, Sidi Khrebish
Authors: Pye Elizabeth
Published: February 2016

During the emergency excavations of 1971, a large quantity of painted wall plaster was recovered from the peristyled house ‘H’.

It is thought that this house was built in the late first century A.D. and destroyed in the third century A.D. The plaster was found in the destruction levels and lay in a dump or spread to the south of the courtyard area of the house. It was mixed with, and probably to some extent sealed by, mud-brick debris. This may account for its good state of preservation.

From its context, it appears that the plaster decorated two or three of the main rooms of the house, probably including the room on the south-west which has a fine mosaic floor. Traces of red painted plaster can still be seen near floor-level in the room on the south-east corner. The plaster was probably in situ at the time of destruction.

Unfortunately, much of the plaster was lost during the necessarily hurried emergency excavations, and what remains is often broken into small fragments. However, on the whole, both the plaster backing and the painted surface are in good condition. Work on the reconstruction was begun in 1971; it has continued during the season of 1972, 1974, 1975.

Preliminary examination of the plaster itself shows that it is of good quality. The colours appear to have been applied using both the fresco and tempera methods; the main pigments are haematite (dark red), yellow ochre, green earth, lime white and Egyptian frit (bright-blue). A full technical study of the plaster and pigments is still to be undertaken.

Fragments of a number of different painted motifs remain, including figures, foliage, inhabited scroll and varied border designs. In one room at least, the decorative scheme appears to consist of a number of panels outlined with multiple borders. Designs within the panels show architectural perspective and figures. It has been possible to reassemble the fragments of four similar architectural panels and these appear to be linked (by multiple borders) to the panels containing figures.
Epigraphic disjecta membra in Cyrenaica
Authors: Reynolds J. M.
Published: February 2016

1. In 1936 Professor Gaspare Oliverio published an inscription cut on a sandstone stele found re-used in one of the Churches of ancient Taucheira. The apparently mundane text has attracted no attention. In 1959 R. G. Goodchild initiated serious excavation of the building concerned by the Libyan Department of Antiquities and in the course of work supervised by Mr. Breyek Atiyah another inscribed sandstone stele was found very close to Oliverio's. It became apparent that the two adjoined and that the resulting text is of some interest.

Two rectangular sandstone blocks forming part of a composite monument (together width 0.72 m × height 1.17 × depth 0.40), a damaged at the upper righthand corner, b along all edges; there is extensive pitting on the face, some of which had already occurred before the stone was inscribed.

Letters, II–III cent. A.D.: 1.1, 0.06; 11.2–5, 0.05–0.06; ε, ω; Y cut within 0 in 11.3, 4; the cutter has spaced so as to avoid holes in the face.

G. Oliverio, Documenti Antichi dell'Africa Italiana II (Bergamo, 1936), no.288 and pl.LXXII, fig.29, whence SEG IX, 544 (righthand side only).

Photos, Dept. F.1078 (righthand side only); JR Tocra III. 51 (E. Alföldi-Rosenbaum). See plate 1.
The end of the first phase at Kufrah: expectations and achievements
Authors: Allan J. A.
Published: February 2016

Much interest has centred on the development of the fossil water resources at Kufrah in the central Sahara of Libya. The remote location and extremely arid climate presented unusual problems to irrigation engineers, agriculturists and stock specialists. The favourable estimates made by consultants indicated that the high quality of the water together with the larger quantities available would easily support 10,000 hectares of irrigated alfalfa for steep breeding and the groundwater resource would only be drawn down by 35 metres after 40 years of pumping (Tipton and Kalmbach — 1971). This optimistic phase was at its height in 1973 when the political leadership of the country was pressing the managers of the Kufrah scheme to envisage not just 10,000 hectares of irrigated cropping, but extensions to 50,000 hectares, preferably including settlement schemes.

In the event, however, faced with the decision of how far to extend the scheme, those responsible approved designs for the limited expansion of the project in the form of a 5500 hectare settlement scheme accommodating about 850 farmers. This sharp reduction in the target area for irrigated farming at Kufrah arose because of the results of the first effective year of operation of the scheme, results of which became available during late 1973 and early 1974. The most important indicator of the long term viability of the project was of course the drawdown in the level of the groundwater. Uneasy predictions were being circulated as the result of some important work completed by a Libyan hydrologist (Adib 1974) who had applied a different model from that used by Tipton and Kalmbach in their feasibility study. These new predictions proved to be very close to the measured rates of decline after a year of pumping, a year incidentally in which the scheme had worked at only about 70 per cent or less of its anticipated levels of water use for full fodder and livestock production. Instead of declines of a few metres which would in the early years have been consistent with a 35 metres decline over 40 years of pumping, it was discovered that in parts of the well field drawdowns of as much as 15 metres had been recorded after only one year. Critical conclusions were reached by Pallas and Fadel (1974) on the basis of these data, especially regarding the risks involved in investing heavily on the basis of contested assumptions concerning an aquifer, and they urged that important groundwater developments should be preceded by at least two years of pilot experimentation.
Garamantian excavations (Germa) 1977
Authors: Daniels Charles
Published: February 2016

In 1977 it was decided to concentrate all efforts on the cemetery of Saniat ben Howedi and answer certain questions unanswered in 1973. In that year it appeared that where the cemetery mound stood at its highest, upper and lower tombs existed. Work had been concentrated on the upper layer and some 30 tombs were dug. They were all found to be either circular drum-like structures, 6–8 ft in size, or larger, square constructions 10–12 ft across, with a central circular shaft. The tombs, for the most part, faced east and had stele, or ‘hands’ and offering tables on their principal side. Sometimes these were placed within an area enclosed, or partly surrounded by a low mud-brick wall, which contained other vessels, clearly intended as offerings for the deceased.

Although the skeletons had survived (where the tombs had not been robbed), finds were sparse, consisting mainly of lamps, jug/flagons, local imitations of fine red ware plate/dishes, with the occasional genuine fine red ware plate. Dating was difficult, but where possible it suggested the third—fourth centuries (if not the fifth).

Investigation showed that where the mound was not present the circular and later square tombs appeared to have been built either against, or directly on top of, earlier tombs. Two of these earlier tombs were excavated and found to contain a mass of late first-century pottery, in a somewhat damaged state. This consisted of amphoras, fine red ware bowls and dishes, mostly of northern Italian manufacture, imported and local coarse ware vessels, as well as glass and faience bowls. In each tomb a saddle quern, broken, and a smashed soft chalk rubber were found, suggesting that the occupants had been female. The skeletons, unfortunately, had survived in neither case. One tomb, no.15 in the cemetery numbering system, faced west, the other, no.17, faced east. Both had survived intact from antiquity, but the objects within them, especially no.17, were, in many cases, badly shattered (see the Fourth Annual Report of the Society, p.35).
Votive and portrait sculpture from the Sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone at Wadi Bel Gadir, Cyrene (Shahat)
Authors: Kane Susan
Published: February 2016

Excavation and study work was continued by the University of Pennsylvania expedition under the direction of Professor Donald White from late June to early September 1976 in the Sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone at Wadi Bel Gadir, Cyrene (Shahat). With the help of a grant from the Society for Libyan Studies, I was able to begin my study of the votive and portrait sculpture excavated in the sanctuary and to travel to sites and museums in the Cyrenaica and Tripolitania for comparanda research. The 1976 season proved to be a fruitful one, not only for examination of sculpture from previous seasons, but also for acquisition of several fine pieces from new excavation. One life size marble female of Grosse Herkulanerin type (known from 1974) was unearthed and brought to the Casa Parisi sculpture yard, a new overlife size marble female (perhaps representing a priestess) and two underlife size marble peplophoroi of good workmanship were among the major pieces excavated. The two portrait finds were a fine marble female head in a Faustina the Elder hairstyle and a small limestone male head with Alexander the Great overtones. There were several statuettes found, including one of Demeter with her daughter Persephone seated in her lap which has parallels in both Eleusis and the Athenian Agora.
The Severan Commemorative Relief at Cyrene. The portraiture
Authors: Bonanno A.
Published: February 2016

On my first visit to Cyrene in summer 1972 I was so intrigued by the figurative relief standing on the south side of the so-called Valley Street, immediately to the east of the modern village of Shahat, that I decided to include it in my doctoral thesis. I visited the site in the distinguished company of the late Prof. D. E. Strong, who was then my research supervisor, and Mr. Philip Kenrick. We spent together some hours in front of this fascinating monument discussing a number of points concerning the architecture of the building to which it belonged, the identification of the figures, the iconography of the then hypothetical portraits, and the reading of the inscription. A full description and discussion of the monument were given by Professor Strong in a lecture delivered at the British Museum on the occasion of the opening of the Exhibition of Libyan Antiquities on 14th June, 1973, and later published in theSociety for Libyan Studies Report. I returned to Cyrene in summer 1973 in order to make a more thorough examination of the relief and to produce a number of detailed photographs of the heads. The contents of this article are the result of these observations and the stimulating discussions I had with Professor Strong on the subject.

For a comprehensive description of the relief I refer the reader to Strong's contribution in theFourth Annual Report, but it is appropriate to recapitulate briefly. The relief in question constituted the figured frieze of the entablature of a monumental gateway resting on Corinthian columns. Beneath the frieze, which must have been more than 11m long, ran an inscription in two lines of standard monumental Greek letters. All the architectural elements, including the frieze, are carved on a very gritty and shelly limestone. The state of preservation is very poor: the figures on the right hand block are almost completely lost and elsewhere heads and limbs have fallen off, in some cases being cemented back. The best preserved are the central figures, but even here the sugary limestone has eroded to some extent (Fig.Ia).
Managing Agricultural Resources in Libya: Recent Experience
Authors: Allan J. A.
Published: February 2016

Since the revolution of September 1969 very bold and expensive experiments have been mounted to test the productivity of Libya's soil and water resources. Ten years on it is appropriate to review these experiments in terms of the extension of the irrigated and cultivated area as well as with respect to the impact of such innovations on the renewable natural resources base and the viability of agricultural production in existing or changed economic circumstances.

Libyan economic development takes place in the special circumstances of an oil economy in which the massive oil revenues accruing to the government are deployed almost exclusively through the public sector via ministries and secretariats. In an oil economy a special and inescapable burden of responsibility falls to the government to lead and direct economic and social change (Penrose 1973, p7) and this role has at no time been avoided by the revolutionary government. On the contrary there has been a progressive rationalisation of activity and property since 1969 so that by 1979 almost all commercial and industrial activity, as well as housing and services were controlled by government agencies.

The agricultural sector has been affected by this trend towards public intervention directly through the capital invested in cultivation, irrigation and livestock and indirectly through the control of the marketing of agricultural products. The final phase of this interaction is seen in the new proposal to reorganize the farming of the coastal strip of the Jefara Plain and the coastal area as far as east Misuratah, with a view to creating viable agricultural units able to support a Libyan family with no outside labour. The economic, social and ideological implications of this proposal are immense not to speak of the opportunity which such a reorganization would present for the rational management of the crucial and much impaired groundwater resource upon which irrigated farming depends in the favoured and therefore ‘over-developed’ coastal strip.
The Petrological Investigation of Roman and Islamic Ceramics from Cyrenaica
Authors: Riley J. A.
Published: February 2016

The methodology of Mediterranean pottery study (for all periods, but especially for the Roman period) has developed considerably over the past fifteen years, and the range of questions asked of it has been greatly extended. Alongside the traditional approach to pottery studies, which concentrates on typology and chronology, there has been an increasing emphasis on the characterization and determination of the origin of pottery using scientific methods, and also a growing awareness of the importance of pottery quantification (i.e. expressing the relative frequency of different pottery types or styles).

It is as a result of these latter two developments that coarse, functional wares can now be used convincingly to complement and greatly extend the economic information provided by fine, decorative wares. Cyrenaica has been in the fore-front of this research (see summary in Humphrey 1979), and it is the purpose of this article to provide a preliminary examination of one aspect, namely the contribution of petrological analysis to our understanding of Cyrenaican local pottery fabrics, and of coarse ware imports.

Before a satisfactory typology of pottery from any area can be established, and before that pottery can be used most effectively as evidence for the resolution of economic problems, it is essential that the local fabrics should be recognised. Although visual classification of pottery fabric types is often possible on the basis of subjective factors such as general appearance, texture, hardness, nature of inclusions, etc. (as described in Young in press), there are often problems when attempting to establish their origin. This is normally best done by scientific analysis, using either geological or chemical techniques. It is rapidly becoming the routine practice to analyse fabrics, in the first instance, by geological methods (to identify the major inclusions within the clay), and then, if necessary, by chemical methods (which analyse the elemental composition of the clay).
The Olive Boom. Oil Surpluses, Wealth and Power in Roman Tripolitania
Authors: Mattingly D. J.
Published: February 2016

This paper is a sequel to an earlier study of the archaeological evidence for olive oil production in Roman Tripolitania, and combines archaeological information on olive presses with the evidence for trade in Tripolitanian oil, as manifested by the identification of Tripolitanian containers (amphorae). Attention is drawn, in particular, to the apparent correspondence between conclusions made in respect of the settlement data and of the socio-economic significance of stamps on Tripolitanian amphorae. Both sets of data support the view that the urban elite of the region, and in particular that of Lepcis Magna, had control of a very considerable quantity of surplus oil production and that this constituted a major source of individual prosperity, in part manifested by the extravagant donations of public buildings. The notable wealth of the Lepcitanian aristocracy enabled increasing numbers from amongst it to participate at a high level in the central government of the Roman Empire as senators or equestrians. The culmination of this process was the elevation of Septimius Severus as the first African Emperor in AD 193. His reign brought clear short term advantages to his home town, but after his death and the assassination of both his sons by AD 217, the fortunes of the town changed for the worst. Under Severus the town had offered the Roman State a voluntary ‘tax’ in olive oil and this together with the absorption of much land into Imperial estates must have taken a significant amount of agricultural surplus out of local control. In an Appendix, some comments are made on the problems of attempting to quantify the scale of oil production, and some broad estimates are suggested.
ULVS XIX: A Reconnaissance Survey of the Cenozoic Geomorphology of the Wadi Merdum, Beni Ulid, in the Libyan Pre-desert
Authors: Gilbertson D. D. , Hunt C. O. , Hivernel F. , Burnett J. E.
Published: February 2016

A geological reconnaissance of the Beni Ulid — Wadi Merdum region of the pre-desert of Tripolitania shows that at least twenty, stratigraphically distinct geomorphic events can be recognised from field exposures, field mapping and the analysis of Spacelab metric camera photography. The earliest events are provisionally attributed to the early Cenozoic and include uplift, tilting, faulting, the formation of karstic and karst-tectonic landforms, and erosion by meandering river systems. Some of these valleys were infilled with lava flows from the south-south-west in the ?late Palaeocene/early Eocene. Re-excavation of the ancient landscape by rivers followed. Pleistocene deposits of powerful, often braided rivers occur in the wadi floor. The wadi sides are clothed in complex sequences of alluvial fans, screes, windblown, waterlain and anthropogenic deposits, sometimes with weathering horizons and calcretes of uncertain stratigraphic significance. The plateaux contain large alluvial basins, palaeosols, soils and weathering horizons of uncertain age. Accelerated soil erosion caused by human activity appears to have been important in the area — slope deposits of scree and midden between 4 and 8 metres in thickness have accumulated beneath one gasr during a 500 year period. The most recent deposits identified are complex aeolian deposits at the wadi edge and the interdigitating series of floodloams and aeolian sands on the wadi floors.
ULVS XX: First Report on the Pottery
Authors: Dore J.N.
Published: February 2016

This report deals only with the fine pottery since it is this material which provides, in the first instance, the dating for the sites in the survey area. A full report on all the pottery is in preparation.

The fifth season of the UNESCO Libyan Valleys Survey was completed at the end of October 1989. The work of the first three seasons resulted in the development of a model for the socio-economic hierarchy in the area of the Valleys. Two particular types of site (the Farms known as Opus Africanum farms and the Gsur) were considered to be the sites which dominated this hierarchy during different periods of the history of the area. On the basis of the pottery evidence, we established that the Opus Africanum farms were associated with the early period and the Gsur with the later period; there was some indication of decline from around the end of the fourth century.

The aim of the two most recent seasons was to examine particular examples of these two types of site. In 1984 an Opus Africanum farm was examined situated in Wadi el Amud; its occupation began in the second half of the first century AD. Most recently, in 1989, two areas were examined, and these were chosen for research because of the possibility that they were only occupied in the late period: firstly, Wadi Buzra which flows into Wadi Mimoun and secondly Wadi Umm el Kharab which flows into Wadi Nafad.
El Merj (Ancient Barca) — A Summary Report on the 1989 Season
Authors: Dore J.N.
Published: February 2016

In this first season several exploratory trenches were sunk with encouraging results. There is a considerable depth of stratigraphy over the whole town, sufficient, it would seem, to preserve substantial remains, and there is evidence of considerable occupation in the medieval Islamic period, as well as some material of Greek and early Roman date. In the 1990 season, it is planned to open a much larger area and begin the systematic controlled excavation of the Islamic levels, and it is hoped that, in the coming years, the combined expertise of this Anglo-Libyan venture will bring to light the town whose importance is hinted at in the historical sources.
ULVS XXII: Crustose Lichen Affecting the Geological Interpretation of Digital Landsat Imagery of the Tripolitanian Pre-desert
Authors: Pyatt F. B. , Gilbertson D. D. , Hunt C. O.
Published: February 2016

White surface encrustations developing on basalt which had the same ‘reflectance signature’ on digital Landsat imagery as that from the limestone terrain in the Tripolitanian pre-desert are shown at the Wadi Gobbeen to be the thalli of the crustose lichen of the genus Aspicilia. The reproductive structures and ascospores of the lichen are described. The lichen is seen to be aiding the weathering and disintegration of the basalt cobbles. The absence of the thalli on the sides and underneath of cobbles currently resting upon the present land surface may suggest that soil erosion has been rapid in the recent past.
Excavations at El Merj (Ancient Barca) – A First Report on the 1990 Season
Authors: Dore J. N. , Kennet Derek
Published: February 2016

Trench 330. Below recent structures the remains of two (possibly related) complexes of buildings were uncovered. Building I was a sunken, probably rectangular, courtyard bounded by a colonnade. Building II was mud brick. Seven major phases were identified. Pottery suggests a terminus post quem in the sixteenth or seventeenth centuries AD.

Trench 340. Below very recent features was a brick barrack block, which probably dates to the 1930s. Below this was a building constructed on mud brick, of at least two principal phases, probably of similar date to Buildings I and II in Trench 330.

The Finds. Twenty-three coins were recovered. Two are probably comparatively early in date (Abbasid or Fatimid). Considerable quantities of pottery were recovered (see Appendices I and II). Other finds of note were a glass weight, probably of Fatimid date, and a small head carved in bone.
Excavations at El Merj (Ancient Barca): a First Report on the 1991 Season
Authors: Dore J. N.
Published: February 2016

Trench 330, begun in 1990, was extended. The earlier phases of building II were examined and in two places what is thought to be the bottom of the sequence has been found. A further area of building I was exposed. It is now thought likely that building I wholly post-dates building II and general considerations suggest that the whole sequence should be accommodated within the Ottoman Turkish period. Below the sequence a thick layer of possibly natural clay was discovered, which has interesting implications for the location of earlier settlement.
Silphium in Ancient Art
Authors: Fabbricotti Emanuela
Published: February 2016

Silphium is the source of Cyrene's wealth. It is possible that the first colonists who landed in Cyrenaica realized the many qualities of the plant and decided at once to take advantage of it. Maybe, the Minoans knew about it too, as Sir Arthur Evans found some inscribed tablets from Cnossos with symbols very like those represented on later Cyrenaican coins.

Silphium is represented on coins possibly as the symbol of Cyrenaica and a branch of silphium is also shown held by a female divinity in clay statuettes. A rare coin shows a female figure sitting on a high stool, holding out her arms towards a plant of silphium. I think that she is not a goddess, but Cyrene itself, guardian of silphium and of the land where silphium grows and I suggest that a limestone head found in Lamluda could belong to a statue of the same type.

After the archaic period, there are many legends related to silphium and also to Aristaeus who is said to have discovered the plant. After the royal period, the symbol of silphium loses its first position on coins and is nearly forgotten in art, but in the 2nd century AD it appears again in two groups of capitals, one in Beida and one in Cyrene. It is a sort of deliberate revival of the old legends and old iconographies that wants to confirm and demonstrate that the great political power of Cyrene (due to silphium) has returned even if the plant of silphium itself has become very rare.
A Scarab Seal from Cyrene
Authors: Wanis Saleh
Published: February 2016

A scarab of comparatively late date, but bearing one of the names of the Eighteenth-Dynasty Pharaoh Tuthmosis III is discussed; it was found at Siret Halimeh, east of Sidi Omran, which lies north of Cyrene.
Fieldwork at EI Merj (Ancient Barca): A First Report on the 1992 Season
Authors: Dore J. N. , Rowan J. S. , Davison J. P.
Published: February 2016

The principal aim of this season's investigations was to obtain contextual information on the geological, geo-morphological and hydrological processes operating within the environs of El Merj, to complement existing archaeological evidence. Provisional conclusions show that broad similarities exist between profiles obtained at two points on the site suggesting that the central area of the site has undergone a similar depositional history. The site seems to have been subject to regular inundation by flood events, occurring 1–2 times per year, which deposited significant quantities of silty-clay sediment eroded from terra rossa soils of the Jebel Akhdar. Less frequently, coarse-grained gravel and cobble deposits were introduced to the profiles, indicative of the effects of much rarer high magnitude floods.
Libyan Period Royal Burials in Context
Authors: Gosline Sheldon Lee
Published: February 2016

This essay will examine to what extent the archaeological evidence from North Africa does or does not reveal an indifference to permanent funereal memorials in the form of monumental superstructures. In particular, comparison will be made with the royal tombs of Tanis from the Libyan Period in Egypt. The validity of the Marxist derived assumption that nomadism is a lifestyle unconcerned with monuments to the dead will also be considered in this context.

In historical times, coastal North Africa has been colonized repeatedly, and each group has provided an additional layer of cultural influence. While this colonial process did not eliminate the influence of the underlying native system, this layered colonization of Cyrenaica and the various indigenous groups of the region had a profound effect on the development of funerary architecture. Hybrid funerary systems and architectural forms developed, and it is perhaps a synthesis of these forms which could truly be labelled as ‘Libyan’, since it is their unifying features which define the characteristic attributes of that culture's approach to the treatment of their dead.
Excavations at Euesperides (Benghazi), 1995
Authors: Lloyd J. A. , Buzaian A. , Coulton J. J.
Published: February 2016

In April 1995 a three week season of excavation was conducted at the ancient city of Euesperides by the Society for Libyan Studies and the Department of Archaeology, Gar Younis University, Benghazi, in collaboration with the Libyan Department of Antiquities. This note provides a brief account of the main findings.

The background to the new work at the site is as follows: in the early 1990s unauthorised excavations for a shopping precinct took place immediately to the north of the known archaeological zone of Sidi Abeid, bringing to light huge quantities of pottery and other artefacts of the Greek period. Eye-witnesses report also the removal of large quantities of ancient building stone during these operations. Following initiatives by the Department of Antiquities and Gar Younis University a legal judgement was obtained suspending further construction (the court case is continuing) and archaeological investigations were set in train.

The condition of the site was brought to the attention of Drs Susan Walker and Joyce Reynolds during their visit to Benghazi in September 1993. A year later, following further visits by the first-named author of this note (in December 1993) and by the Libya Society's Chairwoman, Dr Walker, and Head of Mission, Professor Graeme Barker (in Spring 1994), a joint programme of research was agreed and a two-year contract with the Department of Antiquities was signed in Tripoli. The Society was able to divert resources immediately to the site, and the results of the ensuing investigation, which benefited greatly from the participation of the Department of Archaeology, are reported elsewhere in this volume. The field directors, Drs Peter Hayes and David Mattingly, very kindly made available the full records of this work in advance of the excavations.
Prosopographica: Kyrene
Authors: Habicht Ch.
Published: February 2016

On the list of names in the Cyrenaean inscription published by Fadel Ali Mohamed and Joyce Reynolds in Libyan Studies 25 (1994) 213f. Professor Habicht comments (1) that Aiglanor (1.1), Heniochus (1.2) and Polianthes (1.4) are specifically Cyrenaean names; (2) that Karneades Aiglanoros (1.1) can be identified with a Cyrenaean honoured at Sparta in c. 188 B.C.; (3) that Polianthes son of Kartisthenes in 1.4 may be a brother of Mnasarchos son of Kratisthenes listed at Delphi as a Cyrenaean host of sacred envoys in the late third or early second century B.C., and Kallimachos (1.5) may be identical with the Kallimachos who is another Cyrenaean host listed in the same document.
Possible Sabrathan and Oean Amphora Stamps
Authors: Barton Ian M.
Published: February 2016

Is it possible to identify amphora stamps from Sabratha and Oea amongst those recorded from Tripolitanian Type III amphorae of the early third century AD? Number 7 in the list given by Manacorda and Mattingly begins with the letters SAB, and could be identified with a member of the family recorded in IRT2. A more dubious possibility is no. 6. It is also suggested that stamps beginning with the letter O (nos 17 and 19) might be products of Oea.
A Preliminary Report on the Small Finds from Excavations at Lepcis Magna 1994-95
Authors: Ashton Sally-Ann
Published: February 2016

This is a short report on a selection of the small finds from the excavations of a Roman house which lies to the west of the theatre at Lepcis Magna. The pottery and coins from the current levels of excavation have been dated to the late 5th and early 6th centuries AD; however, many of the objects seem to be residual. One of the most interesting finds was a solid bronze ring, decorated with two female figures. The object seems to have been functional, with the ring and the bars on which the woman are seated being attached to a soft material such as leather. These characteristics, which can be found on parallel examples, along with other bronze artefacts from the site suggest that the former was part of the decoration of a horse drawn carriage. Several pieces of jewellery were found including two gemstones which were once part of a finger ring, dating from the 2nd century AD. The first is a garnet and shows the goddess Artemis/Diane in her role of huntress, holding a bow and arrow. The second, which is a cornelian, is decorated with a portrait of a youth and may well be a local copy of a type circulating at the time. Many pieces of locally crafted bone and ivory were also found, including a bone plaque with a floral decoration which was originally intended as a decorative inlay for a small object such as a box. A similar piece from Egypt has been dated to around the 3rd or 4th centuries AD.
Signa Venerandae Christianae Religionis: On the Conversion of Pagan Sanctuaries in the Dioceses of Africa and Ægyptus
Authors: Teichner Felix
Published: February 2016

The edict of the emperors Theodosius II and Valentinian III of AD 435 laid down the laws on the juridical dissolution of pagan sanctuaries and the annexation of the temple property. The probability of tallying such historically confirmed situations with archaeological finds always poses a difficult methodical question. A small number of interesting examples from the late antique Dioceses Africa and Ægyptus therefore deserve the author's closer attention: the temple of Apollo at Cyrene, the three-aisled Christian basilica at the ‘Vetus Forum’ of Lepcis Magna, the Jupiter Dolichenus Temple at the port of the same city (all in Libya), and the basilicas in Sbeitla (Sufetula), Djebel Oust (both in Tunisia) and Tipasa (Algeria).

Unfortunately, in none of these cases, could the exact date of rebuilding be established. But even so, it is obvious that the edict of Theodosius II cannot be considered as a definitiveterminus ad quem. Archaeological as well as historical facts indicate that the process of destroying pagan cults and transforming temples into Christian sites lasted for almost a century (early fourth up to the mid-fifth). Theodosius Il's edict thus legalised a custom that had already been in practice for decades.
Photographs of Libya 2
Authors: Bailey Donald M.
Published: February 2016

The Editor introduces the second of an occasional series for the reproduction of early photographs of Libya. The group of photographs selected were taken in the Cyrenaica in 1894 during a visit by Herbert Weld-Blundell to assess its suitability for excavation. Photographs of a similar nature are requested for future publication.
A Bibliographic Review: Studies of Libya's International Borders
Authors: Ciarli Stefano , McLachlan Keith
Published: February 2016

The Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya has, since 1980, been involved in no fewer than three important judgments at the International Court of Justice at The Hague, dealing with Libya-Tunisia, the Libya-Malta and the Libya-Chad boundaries. The Government of Libya accepted all the judgments made at the ICJ without equivocation.

The settlement of the Mediterranean continental shelf issues with Tunisia (1982) and with Malta (1985) may be seen as technical adjustments leading to a fixing of boundaries in undemarcated areas. Both judgments were comparatively favourable to Libya and extended Libya's area of hydrocarbon activities off-shore.

In the matter of Libyan land claims to the Aouzou strip on the Chad borderlands, the situation was rather different. The international boundary between Libya and Chad was laid down under a 1955 convention. In 1972 the Libyan Government annexed the Aouzou strip. The ICJ gave its judgment on 3rd February 1994, by 16 votes to 1 finding that the boundary between the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and the Republic of Chad is defined by the Treaty of Friendship and Good Neighbourliness concluded on 10th August 1955 between the French Republic and the United Kingdom of Libya, thus restoring the Aouzou strip to Chad.

A select bibliography of sources dealing with Libya's international boundaries is attached, itemising key texts in Western languages.
The Health Care Delivery System in Libya with Special Emphasis on Public Health Care Services in Benghazi
Authors: Salem Salem F.
Published: February 2016

This paper outlines the main features of the Libyan health care delivery system in general and the development of the primary health care system in particular. In spite of achieving tremendous success for extending health care coverage to meet continuous and mounting demand for health care services all over the country, health status levels in the country as a whole have not yet reached the required target that should make them comparable with the developed world. Three major reasons are thought to be responsible for this deficiency — the lack of appointment systems, a proper referral system and reliable health care information centres both locally and nationally. Moreover, despite the fact that a hierarchy of health care delivery system exists in the country, it is not well-defined with a fixed division of functions and strict referral routes between health care facilities as conceptualised in most parts of the developed world.
Tombs at the Oasis of Jeghbub: an Exploration in 1955
Authors: Wright G. R. H.
Published: February 2016

The Libyan Department of Antiquities has begun to investigate the many chamber tombs cut into the rock scarps surrounding the oasis of Jeghbub (=Jarabub/Gerabub). Some notice of this work was given at the Congress of Cyrenaican Studies in Rome (1996) by the Director of the Department. This communication called to mind a visit to Jeghbub made more than forty years ago. The visit afforded occasion for a brief investigation of these tombs, which because of a mischance has hitherto not been recorded. In view of the renewed concern with them it may now be opportune at least to put on record some surviving impressions of these tombs, mentioning unlooked for contents and their background.
The 1996 Excavations at Lepcis Magna
Authors: Walda Hafed , Ashton Sally-Ann , Reynolds Paul , Sidell Jane , Sjöström Isabella Welsby , Wilkinson Keith
Published: February 2016

The third season of excavation of a Roman town house adjacent to the theatre of Lepcis Magna took place in September 1996. The whole ground plan of the house had not previously been exposed and this was the primary task of the 1996 fieldwork. It appeared that the first building was constructed of well-dressed stone with interior mud-brick walls in the first half of the first century AD and continued in use until either the later first or the beginning of the second century AD. The site was then abandoned until the fourth century when the building was reoccupied, and the interior layout changed. Final abandonment seems to have taken place in the fifth century. The cisterns and well of the house were also examined, and probably what are the first waterlogged archaeological deposits from North Africa were sampled. They include large amounts of organic domestic waste.

Ceramic assemblages of late coarseware and first-century coarse and fineware were studied by Isabella Welsby Sjöström and Paul Reynolds. Sally-Ann Ashton worked on the wall-plaster, architectural marble fragments, and other finds, including ivory and bone, bronzes, and sculpture. The animal bone of all three seasons was examined by Jane Sidell, and included much butchered material. Sheep/goat were the most common animal found, and cattle and pig were a great deal more common than had been expected for North Africa. Keith Wilkinson discusses the palaeoenvironmental material and future hopes for its scientific examination.

During 1997 a Lepcis Magna web site has been opened to provide up to date news of the project. A virtual museum provides illustrations of many of the important finds, and an illustrated account of the excavation can be heard in the virtual lecture theatre. Its address is: www.alnpete.co.uk/lepcis/.
ΑΡΧΙΠΠΑ: A Lost Statue Rediscovered
Authors: Thorn Dorothy
Published: February 2016

Some hitherto forgotten documents from Smith and Porcher's exploits at Cyrene were discovered in Edinburgh. These consisted of draft copies of despatches and a collection of their photographs, one of which showed the only contemporary view of the marble seated figure they identified as ‘Archippe’ on the grounds of an inscription on the base, but left in Cyrene on their departure. A resemblance was noticed between the ‘Archippe’ photographed in 1861 and an enigmatic seated figure now situated near the Apollo Sanctuary. The two-line inscription subsequently found on this statue identifies it as the one described by Smith and Porcher, and also by previous explorers.
The Fezzan Project 1999: preliminary report on the third season of work
Authors: Mattingly David J. , al-Mashai Mohammed , Balcombe Phil , Drake Nick , Knight Stephanie , McLaren Sue , Pelling Ruth , Reynolds Tim , Thomas David , Wilson Andrew I. , White Kevin
Published: February 2016

This report summarises the work of the third season of the Fezzan project which took place in January 1999. The main environmental findings of the project team of specialist geographers are providing confirmation of dramatic climatic and environmental change over the last 100,000 years and give more precise dates for some of these changes. The excavations in Old Germa (ancient Garama) have continued through Islamic levels, with elements of five main phases of buildings now having been recorded. Additional standing structures, including one of Germa's main mosques, have been surveyed. Field survey around Germa has revealed further new settlement sites of prehistoric, Garamantian and Islamic date. Of particular importance is a series of lithic and pottery scatters relating to neolithic occupation along the edge of the Ubari Sand Sea, to the north of Germa. Further investigation of the irrigation channels (foggaras) has revealed significant new information about their size, construction and probable date. The report concludes with a brief preliminary analysis of changing settlement patterns over time.