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HAMMAMET IN THE ROMAN ERA
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 The
biggest roman necropolis of Africa known these days
is in Tunisian, in The seaside city of Hammamet. Discovered
in 1996, it is the subject to intense excavations made
by teams of archaeologists having there a very rich
material to better understand the funeral rituals of
the roman era.
At first sight, it looked like burned wood pieces gathered in a funerary vase. But for the specialist of burned bones, a meticulous analysis of each of these pieces allowed to understand the different stages of incineration then the reconstruction of the skeleton of the dead body. It is the body of a 24 years old young woman, probably pregnant…
Little by little, the bodies of other men and women have been discovered around the body of this young woman, owing to the observations of scientists. The smallest piece of earthenware is a precious clue. On this large site of one Hectare in the heart of the city of Hammamet more than de 55 000 fragments have been found, classified and numbered.
It will probably need tens of years before the scientists
could unveil all the secrets of this site. But this
new excavations bring countless information about
the funerary rituals which were practiced in this
vast necropolis at the roman era.
At the II century after Jesus-Christ, the region
of Hammamet is a rich agricultural region which allows
the Pupput city to rise to the level of a honorary
community. A big amphitheatre has been established
needing the participation of hundreds of workers.
 There are thousands of sculptures of Middle class citizens, in the necropolis of Pupput. More than a thousand graves have been found intact and have revealed the social class of the people there, who were often buried with common or symbolic objects: recipients, oil lamps, money coins, mirrors or masks.
The totality of the objects discovered is today an invaluable treasure to understand what was like the life of these craftsmen and their funeral rituals. The perimeter of the excavations narrows down with the growth of the urbanisation, the archaeologists know that time is so precious to collect as much elements as possible. However, "to dig, is to put aside scraps, a fragment of history, which, without this would be irrevocably ruined” .
| Reference: Anne-Laure Fournier |
 Some books about Pupput and Roman Africa
- The roman necropolis of Pupput, under the
direction of Aicha Ben Abed and Marc Griesheimer,
editions of l'Ecole française de Rome, 2004.
- Aspects Of Roman Africa, Claude Lepelley, editions Edipuglia, 2001.
Northern Africa in the Antiquity, François Decret, Mhamed Fantar, editions Payot, 2nd edition, 1998.
- Tunisia, the Crossroad of the Antique World, Jean-Paul Morel, editions Faton, 1994.
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Hammamet in
the history
Presentation:
Since ancient times,
Hammamet has been a little
village lost amongst its orchards, next to a tranquil
sea.
During Tunisia's three thousand-year-old history, the
city has not had many major upsets and became famous
thanks to a Romanian millionaire;
Today, Hammamet is the most desirable and popular sea
resort in Tunisia and one of the most beautiful in the
Mediterranean. By day the luxurious hotels and golden
beaches stretching towards infinity welcome tourists
from all over the world. By night the innumerable discos
and restaurants perpetuate the magic of the day and
transform this peaceful town into a brilliant city,
a marvellous city.
History:
Situated at the crossroads of the roads leading from
Carthage to other cities, Puppet – ancient Hammamet
- was renowned in Roman times for its baths and thermal
baths ( "Hammamet", thus the towns name)..
It was a prosperous village made up of many luxurious
dwellings but it never became a large city.
In the 12th Century, Roger II of Sicily, in giving Hammamet
its walls, set up the foundations for the present day
city. But it wasn't until the 12th Century , under the
reign of the Hafsides, that Hammamet acquired a certain
importance, which was consolidated by the Spanish around
1570, when they fortified the Kasbah (the fort) and
the town walls.
A long period of decline followed, which lasted until
the 17th Century, the era of the Mouradites, when the
town became a flourishing city.
In the 1930s, a Romanian millionaire built his house
here and Hammamet started to attract artists and writers
from all around the world. Hammamet thus gained a great
notoriety throughout the Mediterranean.
Today Dar Sebastien (the Romanian millionaires villa,
which he donated to the Tunisian government) is a Mediterranean
cultural centre of great repute. And Hammamet remains
a town with the tranquillity of a thousand-year-old
city.
Walk:
On leaving the Fort and the Medina, the town centre
of Hammamet, which opens out onto the seafront, welcomes
walkers. A bit further, " Dar Sebastien "
(the house of Sebastien), a Cultural Centre of international
repute, and the new area of South Hammamet prolong the
pleasant walks of unforgettable evenings.
Just next to the Medina the tourist trains of about
twelve carriages, each seating from 5 to 6 people, leave
to show you Hammamet, taking the route that will display
all the sights of the town. This trip is highly recommended,
especially on your first few days in Hammamet, so you
can discover the town and be able to visit it another
day without the help of the guide.
General information:
Population 45.820
average temperature 18°C (10,7°C in January
and 25°C in July)
Average sunshine 8 hours / day (5 h in January and 11
h in July)
hour-zone GMT+1
distance from Tunis 63 km (by motorway)
Pleasure port Marina
Only community area, according to the 1994 census.
Source : tunisie touristic
guide |
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More informations about Hammamet :
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Mentals
golf training(frensh)