North Africa was only superficially conquered and controlled by the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphate: from the 8th-10th century, a mosaic of new Islamic successor-states emerged in the far west, though Ifriqiya remained in the hands of the Aghlabids, vassals of the Abbasid caliphate at least in name, and briefly was the seat of Fatimid caliphate.
The Zirids (972-1148) were the first of the great Berber dynasties to rule North Africa with their reach extending from Morocco to Cyrenaica at times, and were followed by the Almoravid (1040–1167) and Almohad (1121–1269) empires that sometimes brought North-western Africa and Iberia under one rule.
In the late medieval period, North Africa was roughly divided into three by the Marinids (1244-1465), Zayyanids (1235-1557) and the Hafsids (1229-1574); very little archaeological work has focused on these periods.
Targeted excavations will take place from 2026 at a range of site types spanning the medieval millennium. This section will be updated with more details as fieldwork commences.
