F.Colin has shown that Bronze Age Eastern Libyans were linguistically connected to the later IA Libyans of NW Africa. By the 11th c. BC, their influence in Egypt had grown so significant that prominent Egyptian officials began giving their children the names of renowned Libyans🧵

For example, consider Herihor, a Vizier and High Priest, who gave several of his sons Libyan names. The 21st Dynasty was a period when Libyans were already exerting significant influence on Egypt, marked by the rise of a Pharaoh of Libyan origin, Osorkon the Elder.

Like the migration of North Africans to SE Iberia from the 6th century BC, the Carthaginians seem to have moved Iberian communities to Algeria's western coast as early as the end of the 7th century BC, evident in similar funerary practices, ceramics, and domestic artifacts🧵





Consider the island of Rachgoun, near the ancient Masaesyle capital of Siga, which by the 7th-6th cent. hosted an Iberian population, mainly soldiers and their families. This group likely formed a garrison guarding a key strategic point along the Phoenician trade route.

Short Thread - The site of Althiburos (Tunisia) : insights into the Culture and Lifestyle of an Ancient North African Community (10th - 7th centuries B.C.) Located in northwestern Tunisia on a promontory surrounded by a wadi, the site's earliest phase dates back to the 10th and 9th centuries BCE. This early period of occupation is characterized by rectangular stone buildings with possibly in some cases apsidal rooms.

Thread - Protohistory of Tunisia and its Aegeo-Anatolian influences - 2nd millenium B.C. I would first like to emphasize that this is not an extensive analysis of all the data related to this period and place, but rather a summary of the major thoughts and conclusions from the work of Pierre Cintas on Tunisian Protohistory.

Thread - Muttines the Libyphoenician officer or how the incompetency of the Carthaginian army during the 2nd Punic War led to the loss of one of its most valuable officers Before we begin, let's establish who the Libyphoenicians were during Muttines' time : they were the Libyans who embraced punic customs and enjoyed equal civil rights as the citizens of Carthage. Archaeology also unveils a nuanced reality, showcasing a blended cultural landscape.

Thread - The Carthaginian Army - Part III : War Elephants, Chariots and Siege engines The Carthaginians were introduced to war elephants by Pyrrhus of Epirus (295-272 B.C.) during its sicilian campaign, leading them to promptly abandon their Tyrean war chariots. They first deployed elephants against the Romans during the Battle of Agrigentum (262 B.C.)

Thread - The Carthaginian Army - Part II : Mercenaries and Cavalry Given the extensive representation of populations from the west. Med. in the Carthaginian army, it is not feasible to provide a comprehensive description of all of them. Therefore, I will focus on the key mercenary troops that frequently fought alongside the Carthaginians.

Thread - The Carthaginian Army (6th - 2nd cent. BC) - Part I I will not delve into the Carthaginian naval forces in this thread to keep it concise. However, I might consider creating a separate thread dedicated solely to it later.

Thread - What do we know about the mysterious and poorly investigated Copper and Bronze Age of North-West Africa ? (3000 BC – 9th cent. BC) Since most research programs have primarily focused on the Roman and Punic past of the region, the research for these periods is still in its early stages, and we still lack crucial information about them. So here's the little information I found on this unexplored era.

During the 6th and 5th cent. BC, Carthage began to conquer and expand its influence over old Phoenician colonies in the West Med.,leading to cultural changes like the shift from cremation to burial, the adoption of specific North Afr. pottery, and the growth of the Tanit cult ⬇️ During the 5th cent., Carthage successfully got rid of the annual stipend it had been paying to the Libyans. Its expansion into the interior may have triggered the establishment of significant indigenous kingdoms, such as the Massylii/Masaesyli and Moorish kingdoms.