Report on the preliminary season of the Lepcis Magna Coastal Survey

Abstract

AbstractIn October-November 2010 a pilot survey was carried out along the coastal landscape west of Lepcis Magna from the Villa of the Odeon. Intensive new building activities, in particular the development of tourist villages and luxury villas, made this archaeological survey particularly urgent. Earlier plans for a longer programme of research over several years were interrupted by the revolution in Libya; however, it is hoped that work can resume in the near future, and in the meantime the first overview of the season is given here. The survey revealed 52 ancient sites, including productive villas, ceramic kilns, sites equipped for oil and/or wine production and fish processing installations. This survey adds to previous archaeological work in the area and highlights the importance, wealth and economic role of the coastline of Lepcis Magna within the Roman Empire: not only do we see dense occupation, but also a wide range of activities, whether agricultural or the exploitation of marine resources. These results are significant for developing our knowledge of the coastal economy of Tripolitania and for helping to characterise the nature of production and how this may be linked to wider Mediterranean trading networks.