The Rise and Fall of Sufetula: Recent Archaeological Discoveries in a City of North Africa

Abendvortrag im Rahmen des Workshops: Urban Relations – Network for the Study of Cities in Ancient North Africa

The Rise and Fall of Sufetula: Recent Archaeological Discoveries in a City of North Africa

Nicolas Lamare (Université de Picardie Jules Verne – UR 4284 TrAme), Mohamed Ben Nejma (Institut national du Patrimoine de Tunisie)

The ancient site of Sufetula, now known as Sbeitla, is located in central-western Tunisia and is one of the best-preserved cities in North Africa. Despite being famous for its monumental forum and temples, the city remains largely unknown. How was it organised, and how did it evolve from the Roman period to the Byzantine era and the dawn of the Middle Ages?

Since 2022, a Tunisian-French archaeological mission has been working to renew our knowledge of Sufetula using a multidisciplinary approach involving urban topography, 3D scanning, geophysical survey and stratigraphic excavation. The project aims to produce a complete plan of the city, identify previously unknown residential areas and shed light on the transition between antiquity and the Middle Ages in the Tunisian High Steppes.

This conference will present the objectives, approach, and initial findings of this research project. It will demonstrate how digital tools, when combined with traditional archaeological methods, can breathe new life into a city that has long been perceived solely through its preserved monuments.