Combustion structures as a Late Acacus feature

A total of ten combustion structures was found in the Holocene deposit. Structured hearths or combustion structures appeared to be a distinctive feature of the Late Acacus deposit at Uan Tabu. They were much more frequent in the upper, Late Acacus, sequence (Unit I and II). Only two of them occurred in Unit III, which was attributed to the Early Acacus horizon. Considering their remarkable frequency and organisation, they are taken into consideration in this separate chapter. Their morphological features as well as formation processes are described and analysed. Such structures appeared morphologically and functionally different from ash and charcoal scatters or piles. Combustion structures are a key element in settlement organisations. They represent the place where different activities are performed. Some of them were directly connected to the management and functioning of the hearth, others implied operations which were not strictly connected to the use of firing, cooking or heating, but were nevertheless performed around the hearth.