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Punic ruins
Kerkouane, a bit off the beaten track, has the best ruins after the ancient Carthaginian civilization, far better than Carthage itself. Kerkouane
was founded in the 6th century BCE, and was destroyed during the Roman
revenge campaign against Carthage after the wars in 146 BCE. But
Kerkouane faced much milder treatment, nor was it ever redone into a
Roman town. Considering
its excellent location, next to the sea (top photo) right here on the
tip of Africa,
about as close as you can get to Europe, it is mystery
why the Romans never used it to build their own town.
Kerkouane
has surprised archaeologists by its almost complete lack of grand
public buildings. The only exception is a sanctuary with some columns
preserved (second photo). Still archaeologists work on the Kerkouane
site, but the best parts should be discovered by now. The
economy of Kerkouane was the the manufacture of purple dye, one of the
most valued colours and used in many European countries only by royals.
Shellfish known as murex were caught along the coast and placed in pits in the ground to rot.
Kerkouane has been classed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Houses and streets
Around the site the layout is clearly visible and many houses still
show their walls. A few places the coloured clay on the facades has
survived. Other details to look out for are curbstones, doorsteps and
thresholds.
House
of Kerkouane were all built according to the same patterns, usually
secluded from the street and with a courtyard in front. In from the
courtyards the other rooms were located.
House
walls were built according to a typical style for North Africa of its
time, with rubble set in between larger, upright stones holding the
structure together. This technique, called opus africanum by the
Romans, was employed even for the the Capitol at Dougga. A few of the
houses are believed to have been of two storeys.
Many
of the houses have nice red floors, which were made from old pottery
and set with small marble chips (first and second photos).
Main streets were wide, often up to 4 metres between the house walls (lower photo).
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