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 Edited by Sam Nixon, University of East Anglia.Essouk-Tadmekka presents the first archaeological exploration of one of the most important market towns on the trans-Saharan camel-caravan routes in the early Islamic period, supplying West African gold, slaves, and ivory to the Mediterranean world. Excavation of Essouk-Tadmekka’s ruins – in Saharan West Africa – has enabled Sam Nixon and a team of scholars to better understand this town described by early Arabic geographers, therein providing insights into such wider questions as the origins of trans-Saharan trade, the commerce in gold, and the arrival of Islamic culture in West Africa. This window into the earliest period of trans-Saharan exchange includes illustration of some of the best-preserved ruins along the camel-caravan routes, the earliest-known Arabic writing in West Africa, and rare gold-working remains.Contributors are: Stephanie Black, Sophie Desrosiers, Laure Dussubieux, Thomas Fenn, Dorian Fuller, James Lankton, Kevin MacDonald, Paulo de Moraes Farias, Mary-Anne Murray, Sam Nixon, Thilo Rehren, Peter Robertshaw, Jane Sidell, and Benoit Suzanne.Table of contentsPrefaceAcknowledgementsPart 1: Introduction1 OverviewSam Nixon2 An Unexplored Market Town of the Early Trans-Saharan TradeSam Nixon3 The Essouk-Tadmekka Locality: Environment and Human GeographySam NixonPart 2: Site Overview and Surface Remains4 The Essouk-Tadmekka Ruins and Their ProspectionSam Nixon5 Arabic and Tifinagh InscriptionsPaulo Fernando de Moraes FariasPart 3: Excavations and Architecture6 Excavation Programme and MethodsSam Nixon7 Excavations in the Mosque Quarter (Unit Ek-A)Sam Nixon8 Excavations Near the Eastern Cliffs (Unit Ek-B)Sam Nixon9 Excavations on the Island (Unit Ek-C)Sam Nixon10 ChronologySam Nixon11 ArchitectureSam Nixon and Benoit SuzannePart 4: Finds12 PotterySam Nixon and Kevin MacDonald13 Glass VesselsSam Nixon, James Lankton and Laure Dussubieux14 BeadsJames Lankton, Sam Nixon, Peter Robertshaw, and Laure Dussubieux15 Gold Processing RemainsSam Nixon and Thilo Rehren16 Crucible-Steel Making and Other Metalworking RemainsThilo Rehren and Sam Nixon17 Coins and Other Metal ArtefactsSam Nixon18 Miscellaneous Material CultureSam Nixon19 EggshellJane Sidell20 Faunal RemainsKevin MacDonald21 Plant RemainsDorian Fuller, Mary-Anne Murray and Sam NixonPart 5: Synthesis and Discussion22 Excavated SequenceSam Nixon23 A New Cultural History of Essouk-TadmekkaSam Nixon24 Debating trans-Saharan Commerce and CultureSam NixonConclusionAppendicesA Early Arabic Documentary Records of TadmekkaSam NixonB Plans of Essouk-Tadmekka Town Ruins and CemeteriesBenoit SuzanneC Essouk Arabic Non-Funerary Inscriptions, New (Previously Unpublished) SeriesPaulo Fernando de Moraes FariasD Context Descriptions for Excavation UnitsSam NixonE Pottery Analysis Tables And Additional Illustrative MaterialsSam Nixon and Kevin MacDonaldF Glass Vessels TablesSam Nixon and James LanktonG Glass Bead TablesSam Nixon and James LanktonH Vessel and Bead Glass Chemical Compositional AnalysisJames Lankton, Peter Robertshaw, Laure Dussubieux, and Sam NixonI Archaeometallurgical WasteThilo RehrenJ Digital X-ray Imaging and Conservation Treatment of Silver Coins and Related FindsStephanie BlackK Preliminary Chemical and Technical Analyses of Essouk Metal ArtefactsTom Fenn, Thilo Rehren and Laure DussubieuxL Note sur le damas et sur le «voile» de soie d’Essouk-TadmekkaSophie DesrosiersM Faunal Remains TablesKevin MacDonaldN Species Counts of Plant RemainsDorian Fuller, Mary-Anne Murray and Sam NixonBibliographyIndex