We drove to Bula Regia on the morning of Sunday, March 15th. Bula Regia was built by the Romans. When the Romans defeated the Phoenicians in the 3rd Punic War, they took over this part of Africa. The people who lived here were people from Rome, Romanized Berbers, and Berber slaves. The Berbers were the people who lived in Northern Africa before the Romans and the Phoenicians.
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| From The Big Field Trip – Tunisia, March, 2009 |
Romans built there houses underground to escape the burning summer heat of 120° F! Only the dinning room and the bedrooms were underground. The homes had columns and arches to hold the roof up. In one house there were cleverly placed hexagonal windows to reduce weight upon the columns. Hexagonal windows and building underground are Berber ideas. There were high steps leading down to the underground rooms. This is a sign that Berbers lived there because Berbers were taller than the Romans.
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| From The Big Field Trip – Tunisia, March, 2009 |
There were different mosaics in each household. Each house was named after its mosaic. The mosaics were made of tiny colored stones and sometimes expensive glass imported from Rome. From faraway these mosaics looked like paintings, but up close you could see that they were stones that were arranged very closely together. The mosaics were pictures of daily life like hunting and farming, the people who lived in the household, the Roman gods, sea creatures, or geometric designs. One mosaic of a woman who lived in a household used blue diamonds for her eyes. Unfortunately these diamonds were yanked out and stolen, and were replaced by blue glass.
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| From The Big Field Trip – Tunisia, March, 2009 |
But if it was so hot and dry, why did people live here? There was plenty of space and good soil to plant wheat. This area supplied 80% of the wheat for Rome. Mountains surrounded this valley. In the winter they capture a lot of snow and rain, which would stay in the soil. The roofs of the homes were slanted so that when it rained, the rain would wash into ceramic pipes which would lead to an underground cistern. It would provide drinking water for the household for the rest of the year. There was also warm spring nearby. The spring fed the large bathhouse. The Romans bathed once a day. The Romans in Bula Regia also had a sewer system which was advance for that time. The bathrooms were located on the ground floor and sewer pipes were underneath the road.
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| From The Big Field Trip – Tunisia, March, 2009 |
One of the things that made the Roman army so successful was the roads that they built. The roads were maintained and soldiers and traders were able to travel quickly. In addition to wheat, People here also traded large wild cats like lions and panthers to bring to the Coliseum in Rome. Now large cats are extinct in Northern Africa. Bula Regia is by yellow marble cliffs. Yellow marble was highly valued in Rome, so the people traded yellow marble as well. Bula Regia was destroyed when the Roman Empire fell. It was also damaged by a series of earthquakes. Even though Bula Regia was mostly destroyed, and most of the mosaics were taken to the Bardo Museum in the capital, Tunis, Bula Regia is still a very interesting place.
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| From The Big Field Trip – Tunisia, March, 2009 |
Tags: 5 Comments
5 responses so far ↓
Cyrus, Great report ! I should probably know, but what are the dates of the war when the Romans defeated the Phoenicians?
Your writing makes me want to read more. You have a big talent
in writing these reports.
Love you, Grandma Cole
Cy,
Sounds like Bula Regia is quite a fascinating place with a rich history. I guess I didn’t realize it was part of the Roman Empire. Do you know what the words “Bula Regia” mean? Something about a kingdom I’m guessing.
One more question: you mention the Berber slaves that built much of the city. Do you know anything about what the conditions of their slavery might have been like? Were they treated comprably to how slaves in America were treated? Did you see any “slave quarters” among the ruins?
Okay, I know I already said “one more question,” but this brings up a related thought. Your dad mentioned something about “berber tents” in the desert. Does the “berber” there refer to their origins being from the Berber people, or does that refer to the fabric they’re made of (I’m thinking of berber carpet here…)?
Very interesting stuff, Cy!
Love you dearly.
~Aunt Jess
The hexagonal windows are a great idea, one I hope to incorporate into future designs. With water catchment, hot baths, underground homes, and live theater – it sounds like life in Roman Bula Regia was quite nice, at least for the Romans. Do you have any idea why they left? Was it after the earthquakes, or was it due to the decline of the Roman empire elsewhere… Why didn’ t the locals move in and adopt the Roman techniques of building? Or maybe Tunisian architecture and technology was influenced by the Romans? Have you seen any evidence of that influence elsewhere?
It sounds really hot there, and fun. keep us posted,
Quincy
Cyrus, great report. So interesting and amazing that it has survived for so long, although, I must admit I don’t know when the 3rd Punic War actually was. Your pictures are wonderful. Did you go to the Bardo Museum and thus decide to visit the Bulga Regia ruins? What an education you are getting. Keep up the great work.