Present virtual Past: modelling the Late‐Holocene landscape of Sebkhet Halk El Menzel, Tunisia

Eleonora Gandolfi supervised by Dr Graeme Earl

The landscape around the Sebkha Halk el Menjel, Oued Manfas‐es‐Sod and Sebkha Kalbia in central Tunisia had a prolonged history of human occupations with different degrees of anthropic modification of the territory. For this reason, the region represents an ideal archaeological and environmental context for the prehistorical research in Eastern Maghreb. The research will focus on the modelling of the landscape and two different sites located in different positions in order to create a virtual environment within which we will have the mean to investigate the relationship between the different phases of occupation and theorise perceived experience of the landscape over time. Modelling the change of the landscape through time is one of the core research themes of HARP (Hergla Archaeological Research Project) which focuses on the region in terms of its’ significance during the transition between Mesolithic and Neolithic culture. The final outcome will be a documentary which will act as disseminative media of the first 5 seasons of the project and as starting point for the next season, helping the archaeologist in a unique interpretation of this part of Maghreb.