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Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Garamantes

Synopsis
Millenia ago the Sahara was a savanna.  During this time people lived there.  They draw pictures of animals on caves and had flint tools.  Then it dried up, so the people left.  After 5,000 BCE the Sahara became fertile again.  People moved in again and herded cattle.  In 3,000 BCE, it became a desert again and people retreated. The ones who stayed behind became the Garamantes.  After the horse and camel were domesticated the Garamantes start trading with their neighbors.  Berber languages spread west as a result.                                                        
They lived in the Sahara and they were Berber.  They created a kingdom there.  They had their own language and script.  They had different modes of production and they were great traders.  They battled the Romans and they have descendants today.
The Garamantes civilization was in what today is Libya.  The civilization lasted for 1200 years. They created an oasis by creating an irrigation system that relied on groundwater.  They had their own language, which hasn't been deciphered yet.  They ate beef, grapes, wheat, barley, dates, and figs.
The capital of the kingdom was Germa.  They had several other towns and villages. They did not engage in warfare, nor much hard labor.  They were traded with surrounding peoples'.  Wine, salt, slaves, foodstuff, olive oil, gold, animals, and tableware was traded.  Textiles were created out of cotton.
The Garamantes helped King Juba I defeat the Romans.  The Garamantes were later defeated by the Romans.  Sometimes the Garamantes would raid Roman settlements.  In response to this, the Romans made forts.
The civilization declined after the groundwater depenished.  The fall of the Roman Empire had a negative impact on the civilization as well.  Rome was an important trading partner to Germa.   In 7th century CE, the Arabs tookover Germa and the rest of Libya.
Tuareg tribe are the descendants of Garamentes.  Women are very respected in this tribe because it is matrilineal.  Men wear veils instead of the women.  They love the color blue.  A lot of their clothes are blue. There is a caste system in Tuareg society. The Tusken Raiders in Star Wars is based off Tuareg tribe.
They have a caste system.  It is as follows: noble, vessel-herdsmen, marabouts, artisans, keepers of tradition, peasants, and slaves.  Nobles are the warriors and they select chiefs.  Vessel-herdsmen herd donkeys, goats, oxen, and sheep. Marabouts are Islamic scholars.  They made Islam popular in North Africa. Artisans are wood, metal, and leatherworkers. Keepers of Tradition are musicians and tell stories.  They sing @ weddings and funerals. Peasants are farmers; this caste may only exist in Algeria.  The slaves are Nilo-Saharan and the mixed with the peasants and they farm as well.  Slavery isn't so popular anymore.
References
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/11/111111-sahara-libya-lost-civilization-science-satellites/
http://www.livius.org/articles/place/garamantes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuareg_people
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garamantes
http://egyptsearchreloaded.proboards.com/thread/116/forgotten-garamante-kingdom
https://www.livescience.com/16916-castles-lost-cities-revealed-libyan-desert.html
https://www.temehu.com/Cities_sites/germa.htm



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