Tunisia: Thirty Restored Artefacts From Zama Regia Placed At National Bardo Museum

17 November 2025
Tunis Afrique Presse (Tunis)

Tunis, Nov 17 — Thirty artefacts uncovered during archaeological excavations at Zama Regia in the governorate of Siliana have been reinstated at the National Bardo Museum following their restoration in Italy, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs announced.

The installation of the artefacts took place in the presence of representatives of the ministry, the National Heritage Institute (INP) and Tunisian Customs, according to a ministry press release on Monday.

After inspection by INP experts and customs officers, the condition of the objects was deemed satisfactory, allowing their safe transfer to the museum ahead of their exhibition scheduled for late January 2026, according to the same source.

These artefacts were previously displayed at the exhibition "La Magna Mater de Zama" in Rome, held on June 5-November 5, 2025 at the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo.

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Organised jointly by the INP and the Colosseum Archaeological Park, the travelling exhibition will be presented at the National Bardo Museum from January 2026. The Tunisian stage had initially been planned for December.

The pieces exhibited in Rome were unearthed during excavations conducted between 1995 and 2007 under the supervision of Tunisian researcher Fethi Bejaoui.

Consisting mainly of sculptures and ritual instruments, these objects are associated with the religious practices once observed in the ancient temples of Zama.

They are part of a borader collection covering several historical periods of the region, both before and after the Common Era.

The artefacts were restored in the laboratories of the Colosseum Archaeological Park, with the involvement of a Tunisian conservation team.

An international insurance policy worth €3.4 million was taken out to safeguard the objects during their transfer to Rome.

The exhibition is part of archeological cooperation between Tunisia and Italy, reinforced by an agreement signed in September 2024 aimed at preserving and promoting the site of Zama Regia. The project is supported by an Italian contribution of €800,000 over four years.

Bilateral cooperation, which began in the 1960s, was celebrated in April 2025 at the National Bardo Museum to mark 60 years of joint archaeological missions between Tunisia and Italy.

Read the original article on Tunis Afrique Presse.

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