The Roman city of Thysdrus was built, like almost all Roman settlements in ancient Tunisia, on former Punic settlements. In a less arid climate than today's, Thysdrus prospered as an important center of olive oil production and export. It was the seat of a Christian bishopric, which is included in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees.[1]
By the early 3rd century, when the amphitheatre was built, Thysdrus rivaled Hadrumetum (modern Sousse) as the second city of Roman North Africa after Carthage. However, following the abortive revolt that began there in AD238 and Gordian's suicide in his villa near Carthage, Roman troops loyal to the emperor Maximinus Thrax sacked the city. The town is shown on the 4th-century Peutinger Map.
The prosperity of Thysdrus in Roman times, despite the challenges posed by its hostile geographical environment[2][3][4] reveals a diversity of economic and craft activities far richer than initially thought. These recent archaeological discoveries open up new perspectives on the workings of this ancient city and challenge the traditional image of a simple commercial centre.[5]
Recent agricultural research has provided some interesting insights into the rural dynamics surrounding Thysdrus. Although the difficult soil and lack of water posed major challenges to agriculture, the remains of rural settlements and small towns reveal more sustained activity than expected. However, the question of the extent of olive growing[6] in the region remains open to debate, due to the absence of ancient oil mills and persistent questions about agricultural practices at the time.[7]
In addition, analysis of the surrounding landscape highlights a degree of ecological degradation, attributable in particular to intensive land use over the centuries.[8] These findings call for in-depth interdisciplinary studies to better understand the interactions between human activities and the environment in ancient times.
Archaeological digs at Thysdrus reveal a remarkable economic and craft vitality. The remains of metallurgical, bone-working, moulding and sculpture workshops bear witness to the ingenuity and creativity of the region's craftsmen. What's more, although pottery workshops have yet to be identified, ceramic production seems to have played a crucial role in the local economy, as evidenced by the many finds of statuettes and terracotta moulds.[9]
The Amphitheatre of El Jem could seat 35,000 spectators. Only the Colosseum in Rome (seating about 50,000 spectators) and the ruined theatre of Capua were larger.
The amphitheatre at El Djem was built by the Romans under proconsulGordian, who was acclaimed emperor at Thysdrus around 238 and was mainly used for gladiator shows and small-scale chariot races.
Until the 17th century, it remained more or less whole. From then on its stones were used for building the nearby village of El Djem and transported to the Great Mosque in Kairouan. At a tense moment during struggles with the Ottomans who used cannons to flush rebels out of the amphitheatre.
Drifting sand is preserving the market city of Thysdrus and the refined suburban villas that once surrounded it. Some floor mosaics have been found and published, one of them featuring the iconography of (Dea) Africa,[10] but field archaeology has scarcely been attempted. Recently with aerial photos, a huge racetrack stadium has been discovered.[citation needed]
The dry climate of Thysdrus has helped to preserve writings on papyrus.
World War II
During World War II, a major military airfield was located near El Djem, used first by the German Luftwaffe. It was attacked on numerous occasions and later captured and used by the United States Army Air ForcesTwelfth Air Force as a transport field. There are few, if any, remains of the airfield today with the land being returned to agricultural uses outside of the city.
^Ch. TISSOT in his Géographiecomparée de la province romaine d'Afrique, T. II, p. 184.
^S. GSELL, Histoire anciennede l'Afrique du Nord, t. 1, p. 74 et sq., p. 99.
^Ch. SAUMAGNE, Dans la lumière des cités africaines. Afrique du Nord. Encyclopédie d'Outremer, Paris, 1956, p. 104,
^H. Slim, Nouveaux témoignages sur la vie économique à Thysdrus In: Histoire et archéologie de l'Afrique du Nord, IIè colloque international, Congrès des sociétés savantes, 108è, Grenoble, 1983. Pages 63ff.
^G. H. CAMPSFABRER, L'olivier et l'huile dans l'Afrique romaine, p. 26-27
^G. Ch. PICARD, La civilisationde l'Afrique romaine, p. 80). P. GAUCKLER, Enquête sur les installations hydrauliques romaines de Tunisie, I, p. 221-222
^"The problem of desertification in and around arid lands", in Applied science and development, vol. 10, 1977, pp. 7-43
^H. Slim, Nouveaux témoignages sur la vie économique à Thysdrus, cited above
^Gifty, Ako-Adounvo. Studies in the Iconography of Blacks in Roman Art. Ph.D. Thesis awarded by McMaster University. p. 82.
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