| Recipient | Dr. Louise Rayne (Durham University) |
|---|---|
| Date | 01 December, 2020 |
| Amount | £3000 (Pilot Project) |
| Summary | To investigate the layout, morphology and chronology of ancient foggaras (groundwater collecting conduits) in the Jufra oases of Libya in order to model the size of the agricultural areas they would have supplied. Foggaras near the towns of Hon and Waddan in Jufra will be mapped in detail using satellite imagery and elevation models. We will improve knowledge of their chronology using field survey and scientific dating. Foggaras can be found across Libya, dating to at least the 5th century BC. They were used to create oases but may have depleted accessible water which led to abandonment of cultivated areas. Understanding the successes and failures of past irrigation techniques could have implications for future resilience but the foggaras of Jufra are rapidly being destroyed by modern agriculture before their potential for supplying oases can be investigated |
