AbstractsHistory

One of the key ancient sites in the region of North Africa is the ancient city of Carthage. From its establishment in roughly 800 BCE, Carthage developed into a hub for Mediterranean trade by the end of the 6th century BCE. It immediately became the centre of commerce for a large network of colonies in the Western Mediterranean. This research wishes to reveal insights into the pottery production, consumption and distribution trends from 2th century BCE to 7th century CE. An interdisciplinary approach was focused on a set of Roman to Byzantine ceramics. Fabric groups were defined based on macroscopic, petrographic and geochemical analysis. The results add weight to growing lines of evidence of elaborate networks of connections between a major city and locations both inland into North Africa as well as across the Mediterranean. The analysis identifies various ceramic production entities in this region of the Maghreb. Advisors/Committee Members: Braekmans, Dennis J.G (advisor).