Between the desert and the deep: the lived experience of the funerary landscape of the ancient Maghreb (4th – 1st millennium BCE)

This thesis focusses on the underlying traditions, inspirations, and influences that led to the creation of the so-called Numidian elite funerary architecture of the 4th to 1st centuries BCE in the ancient Maghreb. Using the nine most-studied structures as a point of departure, the argument will focus on how these tombs and related monuments fit into their African and Mediterranean contexts and the impact this had on self- and social identity in North Africa. This will offer an insight into the indigenous communities and their society before and during this period as reflected in, and projected through, their funerary traditions. This includes analysing the pre-existing northern African burial traditions from the 4th millennium BCE onwards and their impact on the development of megalithic funerary practices over the millennia. By focusing on the built environment, landscape, and the human experience of death and burial, this study explores not only the physical reality of mortuary practices in the prehistoric Maghreb but also the lasting ritual traditions that influenced the later development of monumental construction during the Hellenistic period and beyond. This analysis is conducted through the theoretical frameworks of landscape and sense archaeology, globalization theory, and creolization theory to create a more balanced comprehension of the complex dynamics of the increasingly inter-regional and diverse context of the ancient Maghreb