Roman Dams in Tripolitania

Abstract

There are many Roman dams in the Tripolitanian province of Libya; only a few of them have received the attention they deserve. This article attempts to explain the variety of purposes served by some of the numerous barrages to be found in a small part of northern Tripolitania.The earliest thorough study of ancient hydraulic works in north Africa was made by La Blanchère in the Enfida of Tunisia. More ambitious surveys have been organized by Gsell in Algeria and Gauckler in Tunisia; they were based on somewhat superficial observations made by local officials and soldiers. Air photography has made the objective recording and presentation of intricate irrigation systems easier, especially when it is in the hands of experienced and patient observers in low-flying aircraft; and this helps us to work out the function of barrages associated with the canals and ditches.The ancients built dams in other parts of the dry zone lying south and east of the Mediterranean, in conjunction with schemes of irrigation or town water supply. A few of them are very old; while in places the Romans took over a perfected system of soil and water conservation, complete with dams that merely needed repair and maintenance.