2 May 2008
Tunis — Tunisian and French archeologists resumed clearing works that have recently uncovered two Christian basilicas symmetrically positioned at each end of the small ancient city of 'Aradi', located in Sidi Jdidi, in Tunisia 's Cap Bon area.
Excavation campaigns launched since 1991 have focused on the exhaustive excavation of each monument and ancillary parts, as well as on that of a third monument, adjacent to the northern basilica.
The excavations will no doubt provide historians with precious information on the Christianization of the city, as well as developing a better knowledge of the "late" pottery found in the site. Experts also point out that they will no doubt contribute to the definition of a regional culture within the framework of the excavations carried out in the neighboring cities of 'Neapolis' (Nabeul) and 'Pupput' (Hammamet).
The southern basilica was built in the second quarter of the 5 th Century. The site on which the basilica was built, was once used for agricultural purposes by an ancient community whose origins are still unknown. The only part of the southern basilica that could be preserved thanks to Byzantine reconstruction (mid 6th century) is the "liturgical pole" (place of worship) located in the "nave" (central part of the church).
The two northern basilicas, built simultaneously at the beginning of the 5th century are endowed with a baptistery. They were part of the Episcopal group of churches ruled by bishops . Each church was made part of an islet that also contained living quarters. Between the two basilicas, a third islet had facilities for the processing of agricultural products namely grain mills, bread ovens and oil mills. Considerably affected during the Vandal period, only the western basilica could be restored and preserved during the Byzantine period.
The discovery, of these two fine religious edifices, will no doubt shed light on Tunisia 's golden age of Christianity which also witnessed the presence of the great St Augustine in Tunisia after he left Hippo where he was born. (currently, Annaba , in Algeria ).
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