Controversy surrounds the reason why the centenaria were introduced into the pre-desert area of Tripolitania. This paper examines two conflicting theories; that of Goodchild that they were military in origin and that of Brogan and the Unesco Libyan Valleys team that they were in the main merely substantial private dwellings. The main contribution of this study is to provide new evidence from Latino-Punic inscriptions that the centenaria were private dwellings on private land.

Five Latino-Punic inscriptions from Tripolitania are discussed in detail, and their wider context discussed. Not only do they attest the prevalence of the Punic language in Roman Tripolitania, but also survival of Punic political and religious institutions. A particularly graphic example is provided in inscription IRT 893, which suggests that human sacrifice attested among the Carthaginians was also practised in Tripolitania. The inscriptions attest a flourishing economy in the region during the Roman period.

Nine Latino-Punic inscriptions from Roman Tripolitania are discussed in detail, and their wider context discussed. Not only do they attest to the prevalence of the Punic language in Roman Tripolitania, but also provide interesting data about the Neo-Punic language. They also shed light on the history of the ancient Roman province of Tripolitania and the Roman military and civil organisation in the zone of the ‘limes’.

The name of the Libyan god Gurzil has been discovered in a neo-Punic inscription found in Tripoli in the last century. The importance of this new evidence for the religion of the ancient Libyans is discussed.