Video: What secrets were discovered by the ancient Roman ghost town of Timgad, which was buried in the sands of Africa for over 1000 years
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
On the edge of the famous Sahara Desert, there is a lost city that has been hidden by the sands for over a thousand years. The first person to stumble upon this ghost town was a Scottish explorer back in the 18th century. Nobody believed him when he told about it. Timgad was completely excavated in the 1950s. What has revealed to archaeologists the most impressive city of the remains of the great Roman Empire?
We tend to think that the social security of citizens and the care of those who faithfully served their country is a modern invention. The possible maximum that the evolution of various social programs amounts to is only three or four centuries. Many believe that hospitals for veterans and pension funds are what can be considered the achievements of modern democracy. A person works for the good of his country and in mature years the state is obliged to take care of him. In fact, however, this principle has been around for many, many centuries.
Around AD 100, Emperor Mark Trajan decided to found a city for those soldiers who fought on the side of the 3rd August Legion. These warriors were ready to retire and lead a quieter life than constant military campaigns and battles. Over the course of several decades, this outpost has expanded greatly. More than ten thousand people of both Roman and African, Berber origin began to live there. Most of them have never even seen Rome.
The city is just beautiful! If you look at his aerial photographs, we will be amazed by this very modern-looking street layout system. Timgad was designed with an orthogonal grid flanked by a magnificent, partially restored Corinthian colonnade. Huge funds were invested in the city. Despite the fact that it was located thousands of kilometers from the capital of the empire, Roman culture and identity were clearly evident in every stone.
The Roman Empire was well aware that the spread of Roman citizenship for non-Romans works for the good of the state much more effectively than violence. This was the Empire's carefully planned strategy. Local elites received their share in return for loyalty to the Roman authorities. In addition, people enjoyed all the benefits of civilization - along with the power of Rome, they received such amenities as Roman baths, theaters, libraries. Timgad is an extremely rare example of a well-preserved public library. It contained manuscripts about religion, military history and government. The surviving shelves of this institution can be observed among the ruins of the city today.
Remains of fourteen baths have been preserved in Timgad. At the entrance to one of them, a mosaic was found dating from the 1st or 2nd century, the inscription on which reads "BENE LAVA", which translates as "wash well". Other surviving attractions include a triumphal arch of sandstone as much as twelve meters high, a theater with more than three thousand seats, a basilica with a baptismal font, also richly decorated with mosaics.
Historians say that Mark Trajan, himself a soldier, helped to ensure that Timgad was a successful and prosperous city. The Emperor was very concerned about the well-being of his citizens. To the greatest regret, the wealth of Timgad made him a desirable target for marauders and robbers. Over the centuries, the city has been subjected to many attacks. In the end, it was finally ruined, destroyed and plundered by the barbarians in 430. Many were killed, the city lost its beauty and success. It was finally abandoned around 700 AD.
The most devastating blow to the wounded city came from a sandstorm in the Sahara. It was she who wiped it off the face of the earth, completely covering the buildings. The city has completely disappeared. Timgad remained buried for approximately 1000 years, until an enterprising Scottish explorer named James Bruce stumbled upon him in 1765. He and his team worked tirelessly to excavate Timgad, but then they had no way of collecting evidence of the city's existence.
Officials in England were very skeptical about Bruce's statements and no one was interested in Timgad for another hundred years. Only in 1881, when the area was inhabited by French colonists, the city was finally completely excavated. Today it is a splendid example of Roman architecture. Many of his buildings, such as the Roman baths, are practically intact.
The city's ruins are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We can observe mute testimonies of how civilized the citizens of this Roman community were. Their socially oriented approach to everything from entertainment to education can be an example for modern society.
Historians, archaeologists and other experts say this city is a very intriguing place for any student of the history of Roman times. Timgad offers exciting discoveries about those ancient times, the culture of the Roman Empire and many examples of their achievements. The city is one of those places that must be seen in order to fully appreciate all the former greatness of Rome.
If you are interested in archeology, read our article on one of the greatest oddities of the Ancient World: the mysterious stone of Lake Winnipesaukee.
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