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Sufetula / Sbeitla Archaeological Site

Sufetula Musuniorum

Tunisia · Kasserine

Ancient cityExcavation ongoing
Approximate period50 CE — 1,100 CERoman, Vandal, Byzantine and Early Islamic periods See on the map ↓

In brief

Sufetula is a Roman city known for its regular street plan and forum with three temples. Renewed excavations are investigating the history of the houses and later alterations to buildings, along with the monumental center.

What was found?

  • 1Sanctuary with three temples

    These are three separate temples rising along one side of the forum. According to researchers, they may constitute a Capitolium dedicated to Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva; this identification has not been confirmed.

  • 2Forum

    This is a public square surrounded by porticoes on three sides, retaining part of its original paving. It reveals the architectural center of the city’s communal life.

  • 3Great Baths

    These baths were built in the 3rd century AD and expanded in the 4th century AD. Their cold, warm, and hot bathing sections and geometric mosaics have been preserved.

  • 4Basilicas and baptisteries

    The city contains numerous Christian religious buildings, some with baptisteries. They document the religious and architectural transformation of Late Antiquity.

  • 5Aqueduct bridge

    This is a bridge-aqueduct that carried water from the valley to the city. It is a tangible part of the water infrastructure that supplied fountains and baths.

What does it point to?

Sufetula shows how a Roman city organized around a public square, temples, and baths changed over time with the addition of Christian religious buildings. The continued use of the baths while the basilicas were being reorganized also reveals continuity in urban life.

What did it teach us?

  1. It shows that Roman urban planning was implemented through streets intersecting at right angles and city blocks.
  2. It documents that Christianization took place within the existing urban fabric.
  3. It shows that the baths continued to be used during the Vandal and Byzantine periods.

Record

Culture
Roman and Byzantine
First modern dig
1883
Team / historical
Nicolas Lamare ve Mohamed Ben Nejma; Picardie Jules-Verne Üniversitesi ve Tunus Ulusal Miras Enstitüsü
Coordinates
35.2416°, 9.1186°

Sources

  1. archeologie.culture.gouv.fr
  2. efrome.it
  3. whc.unesco.org
  4. humanidadesdigitales.uc3m.es

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