List of figures and tables viiAcknowledgments xi CHAPTER 1: THE GEBEL TARHUNA 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Geographical and climate of the study area 1.3 The agricultural importance of the Tarhuna plateau 1.4 The Tarhuna plateau and landscape archaeology 1.5 Background of the study CHAPTER 2: THE TARHUNA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Aims of the survey 2.3 Methodology 2.3.1 Intensive survey method 2.3.2 Extensive survey method 2.3.3 The application of GIS 2.4 Case study: the Wadis Turgut and Doga 2.5 The distribution of sites in the landscape 2.5.1 Site elevation 2.5.2 Distribution patterns of site types 2.6 Site typology 2.6.1 Villages (small towns) 2.6.2 Oileries 2.6.3 Large farms 2.6.4 Small farms 2.6.5 Fortified farmhouses 2.6.6 Dams, cisterns and wells CHAPTER 3: ANCIENT RURAL SETTLEMENT ON THE TARHUNA PLATEAU 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Settlement types and organisation 3.2.1 Site size 3.2.2 Site types 3.2.3 Villas 3.2.4 Agricultural villages 3.2.5 Oileries and large farms 3.2.6 Layout of the presses vi RURAL SETTLEMENT AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY 3.2.7 Small farms 3.2.8 Associated mausolea and other tombs 3.3 Settlement construction and organisation 3.3.1 Farming sites 3.3.2 Rural baths 3.4 Settlement density and diversity 3.5 Evaluation of the settlement pattern over time CHAPTER 4: OLIVE OIL PRESSING FACILITIES AND THE PRESSING PROCESS 4.1 Introduction 4.2 The Tarhuna plateau presses 4.3 The production process 4.3.1 Mills 4.3.2 Press orthostats (arbores) 4.3.3 Press beds (arae) 4.3.4 Counterweights4.3.5 Tanks and vats 4.4 Standardisation 4.5 Production capacity 4.5.1 Calculating production capacity 4.5.2 The production capacity of traditional lever presses in the Msellata region during the late Ottoman period CHAPTER 5: AMPHORA PRODUCTION SITES ON THE TARHUNA PLATEAU 5.1 Introduction 5.2 The distribution of amphora kiln sites on the Tarhuna plateau 5.3 Types of amphorae produced by the Tarhuna plateau kilns 5.3.1 Tripolitania I amphorae 5.3.2 Tripolitania II amphorae 5.3.3 Tripolitania III amphorae 5.4 The construction of amphora kilns on the Tarhuna plateau 5.4.1 The excavation of a pottery kiln at Arbaia (TUT48) 5.5 The Tarhuna plateau amphora stamps CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION 6.1 Overview 6.2 Rural settlement patterns 6.3 Olive oil production and pressing facilities 6.4 Amphora production 6.5 The economic aspects of archaeological sites Appendix Bibliography