Micromorphological study of living floors and mud features from the excavation of Fewet

The chapter describes the micromorphological and mineralogical properties of selected living floors, hearths and earthen architectonic features from the excavation of the Garamantian compound of Fewet. The study of mud bricks, plasters and mortars employed in the building of the compound shows a rudimental technology for earthen structures, which employed raw material available in the vicinity of the settlement. The main components used for the production of adobes are quartz sand and a calcareous, slightly organic mud available beside former springs; moreover, they are almost free of clay and organic temper. Plaster and mortars are slightly different, showing a higher sand content and the addition of finely subdivided vegetal remains to the mixture. The technology for earthen features adopted by the Garamantes resembles those described in Sub-Saharan Africa: plaster from Fewet and banco from Mali and Burkina Faso show a similar preparation. The micromorphological investigation on living floors identified rooms devoted to animal penning (characterized by trampling and intense accumulation of fodder) and domestic spaces arranged with fireplaces. Finally, thin section and XRD analyses illustrated that features related to firing activities are very rich in gypsic pedofeatures, suggesting that Tamarix was the most common fuel adopted by the Garamantes in the oasis of Fewet. Finally, the analyses showed that in the last millennia archaeological sediments underwent limited postdepositional weathering, mostly related to solute redistribution after occasional rainfalls.