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New fieldwork at the Severan fort of Myd(…)/Gheriat el-Garbia on the limes Tripolitanus1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2014

Michael Mackensen
Michael Mackensen*
Affiliation:
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Institut für Vor- und frühgeschichtliche Archäologie und Provinzialrömische Archäologie, München, Germany
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Abstract

The most outstanding oasis fort of the limes Tripolitanus, Myd(---)/Gheriat el-Garbia, saw the deployment of various military units between AD 198/201 and 275/80. Archaeological research in 2009/10 focussed on the fortifications, particularly the main and rear gates, the northern angle tower and interval towers 2 and 4 as well as the curtain wall at its south corner. The towers of the porta praetoria have been reconstructed theoretically with three storeys, at an overall height of c. 12.5 m. Of the headquarters building two of the rear rooms, including the shrine, were excavated. A monumental inscription of a length of c. 9.0 m and corresponding architectural elements suggest the existence of a groma building. Completely unexpected by archaeologists as well as ancient historians and rather spectacular is a late Roman reoccupation of the military site: after a hiatus of c. 80+ years building activities were undertaken within the fort and repairs and the blocking of the main gate could be observed and probably attributed to the deployment of a unit of limitanei between AD 360/80 (at the earliest) and 430/55. The reoccupied fort might be identified with the so far unknown castra Madensia, where the milites munifices were garrisoned (Notitia Dignitatum Occ. 31, 30). Further evidence of occupation, possibly of a Libyan chieftain and his tribe, has been assigned to the second half of the fifth century, continuing thereafter until AD 540+.

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Articles
Information
Libyan Studies , Volume 43 , 2012 , pp. 41 - 60
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Libyan Studies 2012

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Footnotes

1

The typescript of the Olwen Brogan Memorial Lecture, held on 10 May 2011, has been changed slightly. For a detailed discussion cf. the comprehensive preliminary reports for the seasons 2009 and 2010: Haensch and Mackensen 2011, 263-286; Mackensen 2010a, 363–458; 2011a, 247–375.

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