Gasr Banat or Gasr Isawi is an archaeological site near
Bani Walid
Bani Walid (Anglicized: ; ar, بني وليد, Banī Walīd, Libyan pronunciation: ) is a city in Libya located in the Misrata District. Prior to 2007, it was the capital of Sof-Aljeen District. Bani Walid has an airport. Under the Libyan Ar ...
in
Libya and the location of an
Ancient Roman
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...
centenarium
A centenarium is a type of Ancient Roman fortified farmhouse in the Limes Tripolitanus. It is called even in the plural ''centenaria'', because in the Limes Tripolitanus there were more than 2000 of these "fortifications", connected to create a def ...
or "perched"
oppidum. The area is also used as a semi-permanent camp for
nomads.
It was studied by
Graeme Barker
Graeme William Walter Barker, (born 23 October 1946) is a British archaeologist, notable for his work on the Italian Bronze Age, the Roman occupation of Libya, and landscape archaeology.
Early life and education
Barker was born on 23 October ...
in 1984.
Evidence from
pottery found around the site suggests the date of construction was in the third century CE.
The centenarium has a striking resemblance to one in
Gherait esh-Shergia north of
Wadi Nefud. There is an ancient temple-type
mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...
dating to the same period as the centenarium in the valley, which contains a burial chamber decorated with
fish. There are also remains of a Roman
quarry and dams in the nearby
wadi.
This particular centenarium was used frequently for several centuries. Around this centenarium there were medieval walls of old building that surrounded the building and were demolished due to natural or war related circumstances. However, regardless of the fallen walls the centenarium remained to be in a fairly good condition.
References
External links
Livius.org -Qasr Banat (Qasr Isawi)
Archaeological sites in Libya
Ancient Roman buildings and structures in Libya
{{Libya-geo-stub