The site is located near
Jougan, Tunisia[1][2] 20
kilometers south west of
Zaghouan. The site is notable for
ruins from the Roman era.[3] The ruins are considered to be two separate
Roman settlements, situated on opposites sides of a
wadi:
Henchir Ksour Dzemda, a
vicus and possible imperial estate
Henchir Ksour Dzemda is a set of
ruins located at Dzemda in
Tunisia,[4][5] 20
kilometers south-west of
Zaghouan noted for
ruins from the Roman era,[6] including a structure of Vaulted construction.[7]
Alfred Merlin excavated the site and noted its occupation from 199
BC - 799
AD.[8] These dates agree roughly with the Conquest of
Roman North Africa to the
Muslim conquest of the Maghreb.
The site is notable for the abundance of its inscription remains.[9][10][11][12]
Although being legally a
vicus (
village) the settlement has considerable remains. Given its location, it is probable that the village was actually an
imperial estate, which were common in the area during this time. The town was also the seat of an ancient
Bishopric.[13] This adds weight to the probability it was an imperial estate.
Semta
During
Roman times, Annaeus was near the
Municipum of
Semta (Africa) which lay on the opposite side of the
Faida-Dzemdastream. The two sets of
ruins have been treated in modern times together[14] though the presence of two different
bishops in the two settlements indicates separate entities during the Roman and
Byzantine era.
^Babelon, Ernest. Archaeological Atlas of Tunisia:. Special edition of the topographical maps published by the Ministry of War. Accompanied by an explanatory text (E. Leroux. , 1893].
^Louis Poinssot & Robert Lantier ,
Q. Geminius Sabinus, Princeps peregrinorum, Comptes rendus des séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres / Année 1923 / Vol67, Num3, p.197-201.
^Hahn, E Adelaide. The Classical Weekly17 (Oct 1, 1923): p119-120.
^see also Juan José Palao Vicente , Legio VII Gemina (Pia) Felix. Study of a Roman Legion (University of Salamanca, 2006) p188.