Report on the preliminary season of the Lepcis Magna Coastal Survey
In 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
, (11-2012)
