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Endangered archaeology in Libya: recording damage and destruction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 August 2017

Louise Rayne ,
Nichole Sheldrick  and
Julia Nikolaus
Louise Rayne
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester, UK.
Nichole Sheldrick
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, UK.
Julia Nikolaus
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, UK.
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Abstract

Libya's archaeological heritage is under serious threat, not only because of recent conflict, but also due to other factors such as urban expansion, agricultural development, natural resource prospection, vandalism, looting and natural deterioration. The Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa Project (EAMENA) has developed a database and methodology using remote sensing and other techniques to rapidly document archaeological sites and any disturbances and threats to them in Libya and across the MENA region. This paper will demonstrate this methodology and highlight the various types of disturbances and threats affecting the archaeology of Libya, concentrating on four case studies in different areas of the country, including the coastal plain around Zliten, a section of the Wadi Sofeggin in the pre-desert, and the desert oases of Jufra and Murzuq.

إن التراث الأثري الليبي تحت التهديد، ليس فقط بسبب الصراع الدائر ولكن لأسباب أخرى مثل الامتداد العمراني والتطور الزراعي والتنقيب عن المصادر الطبيعية والتخريب المتعمد والنهب والتدهور الطبيعي . إن مشروع الآثار المعرضة للخطر في الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا قد طور قاعدة بيانات وآلية عمل باستخدام الاستشعار عن بعد وتقنيات أخرى من أجل التوثيق السريع للمواقع الأثرية وأية اضطرابات وتهديدات تتعرض لها في ليبيا وفي الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا. ستوضح هذه الورقة هذه الآلية والأنواع المختلفة للاضطرابات والتهديدات التي تؤثر على آثار ليبيا، والتركيز على أربع حالات دراسية لمناطق مختلفة من الدولة، بما فيها السهول الساحلية حول زليتين وجزء من وادي سوفقين قبل الصحراء وواحتي جفرا ومرزق .

Type
Part 1: Conference proceedings ‘Libyan Antiquities at Risk’
Information
Libyan Studies , Volume 48 , November 2017 , pp. 23 - 49
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Libyan Studies 2017 

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