Traces of the Banu Salih in the Syrian steppe? The Fortresses of Qinnasrin and Abu al-Khanadiq

International audienceThe fortifications of the beginning of the Islamic period erected along the border with the Byzantine Empire or within the Muslim domain are not well known. While some are mentioned in texts, few have been identified on the ground, and fewer still have been the object of archaeological studies. This article presents two examples recently discovered in Syria along the margin of the steppe on the territory of the Banu Salih, a dynasty of local governors who were very active in the struggle against the Byzantines at the beginning of the Abbasid period