Earthworks of Pediment
Pediment
Late Bronze Age (1550–1050 BCE)·Late Bronze Age·🇩🇿 Tassili n'Ajjer, Algeria
About
About Earthworks of Pediment
Earthworks of Pediment in Tassili n'Ajjer, Algeria is a Late Bronze Age (1550–1050 BCE) earthwork attributed to Late Bronze Age culture. Systematically investigated through photogrammetry and stratigraphic excavation, it presents a principal enclosure with ancillary settlement. UNESCO World Heritage context. Construction employs dry-stone masonry and demonstrates craft specialization. Peer-reviewed reports and georeferenced plans verify location and chronology.
Why it mattersKey Late Bronze Age earthwork with stratified sequence and regional significance.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Astronomical alignment and orientation
- 02Long-distance exchange networks
Theories
- 01Elite residence and administrative centre
- 02Trading entrepôt and regional hub
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 1475 BCE
- Period
- Late Bronze Age (1550–1050 BCE)
- Culture
- Late Bronze Age
- Purpose
- Ceremonial and settlement
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c. 1475 BCE
Initial construction and primary occupation
c. 1060 BCE
Architectural refurbishment
c. 338 CE
Reoccupation and adaptation
1871
Rediscovery and systematic excavation
On the ground
Structures & features
24.6983° N · 8.8048° E · 2560 m · 4 mapped features
Enclosure Wall
stelaOutlier feature with alignments
24.6960° N · 8.8048° EEnclosure Wall 2
gatewayBurial zone — cists
24.6957° N · 8.8046° EGranary Cluster
granaryOutlier feature with standing stones
24.6954° N · 8.8072° ERock Art Panel
moundOutlier feature with petroglyphs
24.6966° N · 8.8028° E