L’évolution historique de l’Afrique antique et le libyque

The decline of Libyan script in North Africa, particularly at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dougga (Thugga), marks a significant cultural shift. By the 3rd century AD, the once-dominant Libyan and Punic scripts vanished under Roman rule, replaced by Latin. This transition reflects deep romanization, where indigenous languages lost ground to the dominant administrative language. Earlier, in the 2nd century BC, Punic influence had already reshaped local Numidian culture, introducing horizontal, right-to-left Libyan inscriptions—a stark contrast to earlier vertical scripts. The study traces this linguistic evolution through epigraphic evidence, revealing how political and cultural dominance accelerated language change.

Ghaki, M. (2024). L’évolution historique de l’Afrique antique et le libyque. Études et Documents Berbères, N° 49(1), 125–139. https://doi.org/10.3917/edb.049.0125