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10 - Mediterranean Urbanisation in North Africa

Greek, Punic and Roman Models

from Part III - Neighbours and Comparanda

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2020

By
Andrew I. Wilson
Edited by
Martin Sterry  and
David J. Mattingly
Martin Sterry
Affiliation:
University of Durham
David J. Mattingly
Affiliation:
University of Leicester
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Summary

This chapter seeks to identify the distinctive characteristics of Greek, Punic and Roman urbanism in North Africa, and to explore similarities and differences between them. It presents an overview of urban morphology, infrastructure (streets, water supply), architectural characteristics (materials and aesthetics), and the common range of public buildings and types of domestic housing found in the various cultures; it also explores the extent to which we can reconstruct the use of public space and the character of urban life from inscriptions and the evidence of the statue habit in Roman towns. Questions of size and population, and economic roles, will also be considered. The main aim is to provide a succinct summary of fundamental information to enable comparison and contrast with other chapters in the collection which look at indigenous state formation and urbanism in the Maghrib and the Sahara.

Type
Chapter
Information
Urbanisation and State Formation in the Ancient Sahara and Beyond , pp. 396 - 437
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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