many oases depend on underground water. One such oasis is the town of Gadames in Libya. In the center town is a well, fed by an underground spring, which supplies water for the date palms and the crop growing in the fields neardy. Gadames was a caravan stop on the long route across the sahara, the great african desert. in fact, Gadames was an important caravan stop even in times o the Romans who tradedin slaves, ivory, gold and other things with the people living south of the sahara. Gadames was acanter for the exploration or oil.