a comparative study of a Roman frontier province. - Historia Antigua

-450-
8: 3/8: 4
27. Contrary to the older view of Haynes 1959,60 who saw their main
prosperity lying in the fourth and fifth centuries (mainly on the
Ghirza evidence). The observations of Brogan (see 8: 1, note 24) and
the recent work of the ULVP must reverse this conclusion.
28. Rebuffat 1982c, 197-99 and pers. obs.
29. Pers. obs. and pers. comm. J. N. Dore, who suggests that the second
century rather than the third was the era of maximal prosperity.
30. In particular the obelisk tomb seems to be an early type, some examples
even have Neo-Punic dedications (el Amud, Mselletin, Bir Gebira),
Brogan 1971,124-27.
31. App. 3, nos. 114-19.
32. By design or force of circumstances they seem to have, in effect, with-
drawn from the Roman market economy.
33. Surplus produce was no doubt still exchanged between farmers and
pastoralists and between country and town, but on a much reduced scale
and more often because of social obligations than for trade.
34. This is the tribal situation described by Procopius and Corippus at
the time of the Byzantine reconquest.
35. Mattingly 1983,96-108 and above pp. 92-95,136-41.
36. See above, 6: 2 note 62 and 8: 3, note 15.
37. E1 Bekri (de Slane 1913,31-32) described continuing settlement at
Ghirza and Gasr Mimoun in the eleventh century. Similarly at a
slightly later date el Edrisi (Dozy and Goeje 1866,154) mentioned
continued olive oil production near Lepcis. However he also noted
that agriculture around Sort - ancient Iscina had been depleted by
repeated Arab raids (143-44). See further, 9: 3 below.
38. Goodchild 1952c, 147-56.
8: 4 Trade
1. Haywood 1938,62-69,111.
2. On trade in the Roman world, the book by Charlesworth (1924) is still
indispensable.
3. Lyon 1821, Richardson 1848; Barth 1857, Nachtigal 1974, Duveyrier 1864.
4. For instance, Barth 1857,99, met a caravan near Mizda consisting of 25
camels and 60 slaves in transit; Lyon 1821,152-54, listed the main
articles of trade on the caravan route; de Mathuisieulx 1904,75-78,
described a caravan to Kano in great, detail.
5. This seemed to be confirmed by the discovery of Roman forts at Bu Njem,
Gheriat and Chadames, Cagnat 1914b, 109. For a summary of the older
views, see Bates 1914,101-07.
6. Richardson 1848,480, Tripoli to Ghadames in 15 days, Ghadames - Chat
20 days, Ghat - Murzuk 15 days, Murzuk - Tripoli 30 days; Barth 1857,
451, made the journey from Sebha - Tripoli in 18 days; Nachtigal 1974;
42, gave his rate of travel as 31 -4 km per hour, 66, this made the
trip from Tripoli - Murzuk about 30 days. The "caravan" routes ran
not only north-south, there were east to west routes as well, Bates
1914,8-17; Governo della Cirenaica 1930,11-15,39-46; Rebuff at 1970c,
181-87; 1970d, 1-21; Luni 1979,49-65; 1980,119-37. Isolated coin
finds in the Sahara confirm the antiquity of these routes, Mauny
1956,249-60.
7. For a range of views compare the more moderate ideas on trans-Saharan
trade of Daniels 1970a, 42-44, with those of Ayoub 1968a, 41-53,77-81.
8. De Mathuisieulx 1904,75-78, described a caravan which left Tripoli in
1899 and returned three years later after travelling to Kano and back.
It comprised 40 camels each carrying an 175 kg load. Lyon 1821,
152-57, described the objects of trade in his day. From Tripoli
to Fezzan were carried beads, coral, glass armlets, needles, silk,
red cloth, bales of linen, muslin, shawls, Turkish carpets, kaftans,