The institutional collaboration of the Colosseum archaeological Park has been launched for the conservation and enhancement of the Tunisian city of El Jem - the ancient Thysdrus - built, like many other Roman settlements in Tunisia, on the site of previous Punic centres and famous throughout the world for the ruins of the amphitheater as well as for the remains of numerous domus and villas decorated with magnificent polychrome mosaics, precious frescoes, gardens, and colonnaded porticoes.
As part of the collaboration agreement with the Institut Nationale du Patrimoine and the Agence de Mise en Valeur du Patrimoine et de Promotion Culturelle signed in April 2024, the archaeological Park, represented by officials Federica Rinaldi and Angelica Pujia, has started the campaign of survey and graphic and photographic documentation of the mosaics of the Museum and the domus of El Jem, in particular the Sollertiana Domus, the Domus of the Peacock and the Domus of the Dolphins with the topographers led by Pietro Gasparri. During the stay, some inspections were also conducted at the amphitheater of El Jem to verify possible enhancement and accessibility activities.
The two officials of the Colosseum archaeological Park could talk with their Tunisian colleagues, in particular with Anis Hajlaoui, general inspector, and Rachid Hamdi, sharing the methods of work and the involvement of local staff in the exchange of data and information.
This first phase will continue until mid-April and, after the processing of the topographical data and the survey, the extraordinary maintenance work on the mosaic surfaces of the domus will take place, scheduled for the months of May and June.
Photo credits: View of the excavations of El Jem, official Facebook page of the Colosseum archaeological Park
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