Roman City of Timgad

Timgad is a perfect example of a Military colony constructed ex nihilo, located north of the Aurès massif in a hilly setting of remarkable beauty, 480 kilometres southeast of Algiers and 110 km south of Constantine. Emperor Trajan constructed the Colonia Marciana Traiana Thamugadi around 100 A.D. As a campground for the 3rd Augustan Division, which was dismembered in Lambaesis. Its meticulously laid-out layout exemplifies Roman urban planning at its pinnacle. The city’s rapid growth had burst the restricted boundaries of its initial foundation by the middle of the 2nd century. Timgad expanded outside the walls of its ramparts, and many major public structures were constructed in the new quarters, including the Capitolium, monuments, markets, and baths. Most of these structures date from the Severan era, when the city was at its peak, as evidenced by vast dwellings. 

Integrity

The property’s boundaries have been clarified, but they need to be reviewed. The whole city’s ruins will be included within the dividing line. Furthermore, a suitable border is planned.

The property has not been altered since it was added to the World Heritage List. Phenomena (earthquakes, weather, etc.) have never harmed the site. An annual cultural festival has contributed to strain on the site’s conservation due to climbing over and trampling the fragile structures and d passages of engines and service vehicles. The Ministry of Culture has relocated the Annual Festival activities.

Authenticity

The collection of relics and artefacts unearthed attests to the property’s Outstanding Universal Value, which allowed it to be inscribed. The desertion of the ancient site, while at a later date, and the nearly continuous maintenance of archaeological excavations from 1881 to 1960 allowed Marciana Traiana Thamugadi to avoid the construction of new structures, as the mechanical methods necessary would have disturbed the old traces.

Management and Protection Requirements

The Timgad Archaeological Site is controlled by a Protection and Presentation Plan (PPMVSA), technical and legal documentation that specifies the property’s management and conservation operations. The Office of Cultural Properties Management and Exploitation is responsible for the property. The OGEBC undertakes its site preservation and management program in collaboration with the Wilaya (provincial) Cultural Directorate.

Description

The city stood at the crossroads of six highways and was walled but not fortified. The city speedily covered its original performance requirements, spilling beyond the orthogonal grid in a more loosely organised fashion. Initially designed for around 15,000, the city quickly outgrew its original specifications and spilt beyond the orthogonal network in a more loosely organised manner.

The land around the city was a fertile agricultural area at its founding, roughly 1000 metres above sea level.

A Hidden Political Purpose

Whenever the Empire expanded in north Africa in the first century B.C.E., it faced ferocious resistance from tribal groups. What would the Romans do to make peace with the locals? Soldiers from the Third Augustan Legion first established several fortified camps and guard posts in what is now northern Algeria’s huge mountainous territory. They later erected the city of Timgad, but for a different purpose.

Officially, the Romans created Timgad for retired soldiers, but the city was entirely built to undermine the indigenous tribes’ opposition. Their strategy worked out well. The pleasant style of life in Timgad immediately drew the attention of locals who flocked to the village to sell their goods. Many residents gladly joined the Roman Regiment for a 25-year tenure to earn Roman citizenship for themselves and their sons in Timgad, where only Roman citizens were allowed to live.

Some Africans, not content with being Roman citizens, rose to positions of power in Timgad and certain other colonial settlements. The Romans’ devious plan to adapt the indigenous was so brilliant that Timgad was populated predominantly by North Africans within half a century after its foundation.

Conclusion

The daring adventurer couldn’t believe what he was seeing. A Roman triumphal arch lay partially buried beneath the dunes of the Algerian desert! When Scotsman James Bruce found this site in 1765, he had no idea standing on top of the ruins of the most significant Roman metropolis ever erected in North Africa—the ancient city of Thamugadi, today known as Timgad.

In 1881, French archaeologists began excavating Timgad’s well-preserved ruins more than a century later. They concluded that the residents lived in comfort and luxury despite the harsh and desolate environment. The first portion of Timgad’s old name, Marciana Traiana Thamugadi, is Roman and alludes to the name of its founder, Emperor Trajan, and his sister Marciana.