Garamantes

Garamantes was a state in Sahara and Sahel (North and West Africa) that lasted from c. 500 BCE to 700 CE, about 1,199 years. Its people spoke Berber languages (Numidian, Tuareg, Amazigh dynasties).

Saharan kingdom of the Fezzan in Libya that dug underground channels to irrigate oases and ran caravans to the Mediterranean. It declined as its fossil groundwater ran out.

See Garamantes on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates

c. 500 BCE to 700 CE

Duration

1,199 years

Type

State

Region

Sahara and Sahel, North and West Africa

Language family

Berber

Capital

Garama

Events in North and West Africa during its time

• 500 BCE Iron smelting in West Africa
• 331 BCE Founding of Alexandria
• 146 BCE Destruction of Carthage
• 30 BCE Death of Cleopatra
• 330 Aksum adopts Christianity
• 641 Arab conquest of Egypt
• 652 The Baqt treaty
• 670 Founding of Kairouan

Neighbours in North and West Africa

• Ghana Empire (Wagadu) c. 300 to 1200 CE
• Kingdom of Aksum c. 100 to 940 CE
• Carthage c. 814 to 146 BCE
• Ptolemaic Kingdom 305 to 30 BCE
• Makuria c. 450 to 1312 CE
• Kanem Empire c. 700 to 1387 CE
• Kingdom of Kush (Meroitic period) c. 300 BCE to 350 CE
• Roman Africa 146 BCE to 439 CE
• Kingdom of Kush (Napatan period) c. 785 to 300 BCE
• Roman Egypt 30 BCE to 395 CE

Elsewhere in the world at the same time

• Republic of Venice c. 697 to 1797 CE, Europe
• Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE, Europe
• Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE, Middle East
• Srivijaya c. 650 to 1377 CE, Southeast Asia
• Moche (Mochica) c. 100 to 800 CE, South America
• Teotihuacan c. 100 BCE to 550 CE, Mesoamerica and Caribbean
• Tiwanaku c. 400 to 1000 CE, South America
• Roman Republic 509 to 27 BCE, Europe
• Parthian Empire 247 BCE to 224 CE, Middle East
• Greek city-states c. 800 to 338 BCE, Europe

Questions