سكان ليبيا القديمة

Abstract

Research Summary

This research examines the ancient Libyan population through an integrated approach combining archaeological evidence and classical sources. Its aim is to develop a more accurate understanding of the origins, evolution, and cultural characteristics of these groups. The importance of this topic stems from Libya's geographical location in the heart of North Africa, which has made it a space for cultural interaction between local and Mediterranean elements since ancient times.

The study relies on the analysis of ancient Egyptian sources as direct archaeological evidence. These sources provide important information about Libyan tribes such as the Tehenu, Temehu, Libu, and Meshwesh, including their geographical locations, lifestyles, and political and military relations with ancient Egypt. These sources also highlight the nature of the interaction between these tribes and the Egyptian state, which ranged from conflict to coexistence, culminating in the integration of some Libyan elements into the Egyptian political structure, as exemplified by the establishment of the Twenty-second Dynasty.

In addition, the research examines classical Greek and Roman sources, most notably the writings of Herodotus, which offer an ethnographic description of the ancient Libyan population during the fifth century BCE and later. These sources revealed clear demographic shifts, characterized by the disappearance of older names and the emergence of new tribes such as the Nasamones, Garamantes, and Macae, who continued to concentrate in roughly the same geographical areas. They also revealed a diversity of lifestyles, ranging from pastoralism and agriculture to settled life, in addition to economic and political relations with Mediterranean powers such as the Phoenicians and Romans.

The study concluded that the inhabitants of ancient Libya were not merely nomadic tribes, but rather possessed settled lifestyles and benefited from available natural resources, which contributed to the development of societies with clear social and economic structures. It also emphasized the need for a critical reading of classical sources in light of archaeological evidence to overcome cultural biases and build a more objective understanding of the region's history.