Garamantes: 3,000-Year-Old Sophisticated North African Society Built 3,000-Mile Network Of Underground Irrigation Canals

A. Sutherland  - AncientPages.com - The Kingdom of Garamantes, once located in the oases of Fezzan, Libya, is surrounded by numerous legends.

They were known for their technological innovations and maintained trading connections with both the Mediterranean region and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Garamantes stand out as remarkable pioneers of civilization in the Sahara, flourishing in a tough environment where many others could not. The society built towns and impressive fortifications and developed prosperous oasis agriculture. They mastered sophisticated water management techniques and played a crucial role in trans-Saharan trade.

From around 1000 BC during Africa’s Neolithic period until approximately the 7th century AD, when the Arab Conquest occurred, the Garamantes built a sophisticated society. Their capital was the fortified city of Garama, accompanied by several other urban centers.

Politically organized in a confederation, the Garamantes were governed by a king. They were not desert barbarians living in one or two small towns and scattered settlements across the vast Sahara Desert. It was undoubtedly erroneous to hold such an opinion about the Garamantes.

We must not forget that this extraordinary, advanced society lived in the Sahara Desert, the world's largest desert, where rainfall averages only half an inch per year.

Yet, the Garamantes flourished, and so did their agriculture.

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See also: 

Forgotten Ancient Ugarit: One Of The Flourishing And Oldest Cities Of Canaan

Mysterious Lost Kingdom Of Urartu And Its Enigmatic History

Termessos: City Where History And Mythology Marked People’s Daily Lives

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