The Libyan Desert: Natural Resources and Cultural Heritage (Society for Libyan Studies Monograph) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1900971046 ISBN 13: 9781900971041

Publisher: Society for Libyan Studies, 2006

Synopsis

The Sahara is Libya's outstanding landscape feature and is the source of most of its significant natural resources. This desert region is also extraordinarily rich in historical and cultural heritage that is in itself another valuable resource, through exploitation by Libya's tourism industry. This volume draws attention to the link between the benefits that Libya draws from its Saharan resources (oil, gas, water, minerals and tourism) and the need to safeguard and record aspects of its cultural heritage. The book also provides a summary of important developments in Saharan studies and shows how these can contribute to modern planning and development of the desert regions.

About this title

About the Author:

David J. Mattingly is professor of Roman archaeology at the University of Leicester and a fellow of the British Academy. His many books include "An Imperial Possession: Britain in the Roman Empire", "Tripolitania, " "Farming the Desert", "Archaeology and Desertification", and "The Cambridge Dictionary of Classical Civilization".

Review:

Sitting and reading the volumes on a cold, grey winter's day in England, I yearned to be in the desert, for this book is a remarkably fascinating survey of a wide range of recent researches by European and Libyan scholars. The book successfully draws attention to the environmental and cultural value of the desert and points to the need to conserve and preserve its attributes for the benefit of future generations. Among the most valuable chapters are those that deal with the rich archaeological heritage of the desert and the links between past climatic changes and cultural development. Lest it be thought, however, that the book is entirely historical, which it is not, there are important chapters on water management, Saharan groundwater reserves, and petroleum exploration. The book concludes with various resolutions for the future, including proposing the establishment of a national park and protected area in this immense tract of aridity. As the area's deep aquifers, hydrocarbon resources and tourism potential are developed, the significance of these findings and recommendations will become all the greater.
The Society for Libyan Studies is to be congratulated on producing such a valuable volume in its monograph series. --Professor Andrew Goudie, University of Oxford

It is clear that this volume is invaluable for any scholar working on Libya and all concerned with the preservation of its unique cultural heritage. Furthermore, as the great natural phenomenon that is the Sahara has not served as a barrier to communication over the extensive space it occupies, I suggest that this volume should be of value also to those working in Egypt's Western Desert, as should the results of research there by those studying Libya. --Dr. Colin Hope, Monash University, Melbourne

About this edition

• Publisher: Society for Libyan Studies
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1900971046
• ISBN 13: 9781900971041
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 338
• Editor: Mattingly Prof David J., McLaren Sue, Savage Elizabeth, Al-Fasatwi Yahya, Gadgood Khaled