The Garamantes were a civilization of Berber people in what is now the Fezzan region of Libya, and were the precursors to the modern day Tuareg people.
Cave painting found of a Garamantes war chariot
Garamantians lived in the desert and were conquered by Romans, but they became independent after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and continued their lifestyle. The Garamantians are, described in records, as having ritual scars and tattoos. They also had chariots. Like the Egyptians, the Garamantians practiced mummification. The Garamantians were known for attacking other natives, many of them primitive people, and using them for slave labor.
The Garamantians also had iron weapons, war elephants, and were known for irrigation systems and underground mines. According to Herodotus, the worship of Poseidon originated in Libya and influenced the Greeks. The Egyptians and Greeks both shared some of the same gods, some of which were the same gods as the Libyans. The Garamantians believed in nymphs and are also said to worship Poseidon, but other than that, not much is known of their beliefs. They most likely worshipped the same gods as many other Berber cultures, such as Ammon, Illu, and the god Neith, who was also in ancient Egyptian polytheism. There is little textual information about the Garamantians, other than some Roman sources, but it is known from archaeological findings that they vanished in 700 AD, but their descendants were the Tuareg people.
Gallery[]
Garamantian warrior
A Garamantian