Archaeology in south-western Libya. Surveys, excavations and research in the Acacus and Messak (2009-2015)

This paper summarizes the activities carried out by the joint Libyan-Italian Archaeological Mission in the Acacus and Messak (SW Libya) from 2009 until today. The structure of the paper is organized in 2 parts: i) fieldwork in Libya (2009, 2010, and 2011), until the beginning of the Libyan Revolution; ii) main lines of lab-based research, and scientific activities developed after February 2011. During the 2009-2015 interval, the Libyan-Italian Mission has extensively published in several journals together with a monograph added to the Arid Zone Archaeology Series. At present (September 2015), despite all the efforts for a national reconciliation, it is still difficult to foresee the future evolution of the conflict in Libya. The immediate priorities for the country and for civilians are social security and the rebuilding of what several years of war have destroyed. The cultural heritage is critically endangered and scientific research is starving. The impossibility to work in Libya for foreign institutions and the difficulty for Libyan scientists to travel abroad are also sterilizing the bi-lateral and multi- lateral cultural and professional relationships, which in some cases, such as that of our mission, have an incredibly long-standing tradition. We all hope to come back soon.