Archeology of Algeria
Encyclopedia
Algeria
is rich in prehistoric memorials of human occupation, especially in megalithic remains, of which nearly every known kind has been found in the country. Numerous flints of palaeolithic type have been discovered, notably at Tlemcen
and Kolea. Near Djelfa
, in the Great Atlas, and at Mechra-Sfa ("ford of the flat stones"), a peninsula in the valley of the river Mina not far from Tiaret, are vast numbers of megalithic monuments. Notable among the prehistoric cultures of the area is the Capsian culture
, whose shell-mounds are found throughout the north.
In the Qabr-er-Rumia-- "grave of the Roman lady," "Roman" being used by the Arabs to designate strangers of Christian origin—the Madghacen
, and the Jedars
, Algeria possesses a remarkable series of sepulchral monuments.
The Qabr-er-Rumia-- best known by its French name, Tombeau de la Chrétienne, tradition making it the burial-place of Florinda, la Cava Rumía, the beautiful and unfortunate daughter of Count Julian-- is near Kolea, and is known to be the tomb of the Mauretania
n king Juba II and of his wife Cleopatra Selene
, daughter of Mark Antony
and Cleopatra
, queen of Egypt
. It is built on a hill 756 ft (230.4 m) above the sea. A circular stone building surmounted by a pyramid rests on a lower platform, 209 ft (63.7 m) square. Originally the monument was about 130 ft (39.6 m) in height, but it has been wantonly damaged. Its height is now 100 in 8 in (30.68 m): the cylindrical portion 36 in 6 in (11.13 m), the pyramid 64 in 2 in (19.56 m) The base, 198 ft (60.4 m) in diameter, is ornamented with 60 engaged Ionic
columns. The capitals of the columns have disappeared, but their design is preserved among the drawings of James Bruce
, the Africa
n traveller. In the centre of the tomb are two vaulted chambers, reached by a spiral passage or gallery 6+1/2 ft, about the same height, and 489 ft (149 m). The sepulchral chambers are separated by a short passage, and are cut off from the gallery by stone doors made of a single slab which can be moved up and down by levers, like a portcullis. The larger of the two chambers is 142 ft (43.3 m) long by 11 ft (3.4 m) broad and 11 ft (3.4 m) high. The other chamber is somewhat smaller. The tomb was early violated, probably in search of treasure. In 1555 Salah Rais, pasha of Algiers
, set men to work to pull it down, but the records say that the attempt was given up because big black wasps came from under the stones and stung them to death. At the end of the 18th century Baba Mahommed tried in vain to batter down the tomb with artillery. In 1866 it was explored by order of the emperor Napoleon III, the work being carried out by Adrien Berbrugger and Oscar Maccarthy.
Madghacen
is a monument similar to the Qabr-er-Rumia, but older. It was built about 150 B.C. as the burial-place of the Numidian kings, and is situated 35 miles (56.3 km) southwest of Constantine
. The form is that of a truncated cone, placed on a cylindrical base, 196 ft (59.7 m) in diameter. It is 60 ft (18.3 m) high. The columns encircling the cylindrical portion are stunted and much broader at the base than the top; the capitals are Doric. Many of the columns, 60 in number, have been much damaged. When the sepulchral chamber was opened in 1873 by Bauchetet, a French engineer officer, clear evidence was found that at some remote period the tomb had been rifled and an attempt made to destroy it by fire.
The Jedars
(Arabic "walls" or "buildings") is the name given to a number of sepulchral monuments placed on hill-tops. A rectangular or square podium is in each case surmounted by a pyramid. The tombs date from the 5th to the 7th century of the Christian era, and lie in two distinct groups between Tiaret and Frenda
. Frenda, which has largely preserved its old Berber
character, has numerous dolmens and prehistoric rock sculptures close by.
Algeria contains many Roman remains besides those mentioned and is also rich in monuments of Saracenic art. For a description of the chief antiquities see the separate town articles, including, besides those already cited, Lambessa
, Tebessa
, Tipasa
and Timgad
.
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
is rich in prehistoric memorials of human occupation, especially in megalithic remains, of which nearly every known kind has been found in the country. Numerous flints of palaeolithic type have been discovered, notably at Tlemcen
Tlemcen
Tlemcen is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located inland in the center of a region known for its olive plantations and vineyards...
and Kolea. Near Djelfa
Djelfa
Djelfa is the capital city of Djelfa province, Algeria. It has a population of 154,265 . The city lies at the junction of the N1 and the N46....
, in the Great Atlas, and at Mechra-Sfa ("ford of the flat stones"), a peninsula in the valley of the river Mina not far from Tiaret, are vast numbers of megalithic monuments. Notable among the prehistoric cultures of the area is the Capsian culture
Capsian culture
The Capsian culture was a Mesolithic culture of the Maghreb, which lasted from about 10,000 to 6,000 BCE.It was concentrated mainly in modern Tunisia, and Algeria, with some sites attested in southern Spain to Sicily....
, whose shell-mounds are found throughout the north.
In the Qabr-er-Rumia-- "grave of the Roman lady," "Roman" being used by the Arabs to designate strangers of Christian origin—the Madghacen
Madghacen
Madghacen or Medracen or Medghassen or Madghis also spelled Imadghassen, correct berber spelling imedghasen is a royal mausoleum-temple of the Berber Numidian Kings which stands near Batna city in Aurasius Mons in Numidia - Algeria.- History :Madghis was a king of independent kingdoms of the...
, and the Jedars
Jedars
Jedars is the modern archaeological name given to thirteen monumental Berber mausoleums south of Tiaret city in Algeria. The name is derived from the jidār which is used locally to refer to ancient ruins...
, Algeria possesses a remarkable series of sepulchral monuments.
The Qabr-er-Rumia-- best known by its French name, Tombeau de la Chrétienne, tradition making it the burial-place of Florinda, la Cava Rumía, the beautiful and unfortunate daughter of Count Julian-- is near Kolea, and is known to be the tomb of the Mauretania
Mauretania
Mauretania is a part of the historical Ancient Libyan land in North Africa. It corresponds to present day Morocco and a part of western Algeria...
n king Juba II and of his wife Cleopatra Selene
Cleopatra Selene
Cleopatra Selene may refer to:*Cleopatra Selene I, daughter of Ptolemy VIII Physcon and Cleopatra III of Egypt*Cleopatra Selene II, also known as Cleopatra VIII, daughter of Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony...
, daughter of Mark Antony
Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
and Cleopatra
Cleopatra VII of Egypt
Cleopatra VII Philopator was the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt.She was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a family of Greek origin that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great's death during the Hellenistic period...
, queen of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. It is built on a hill 756 ft (230.4 m) above the sea. A circular stone building surmounted by a pyramid rests on a lower platform, 209 ft (63.7 m) square. Originally the monument was about 130 ft (39.6 m) in height, but it has been wantonly damaged. Its height is now 100 in 8 in (30.68 m): the cylindrical portion 36 in 6 in (11.13 m), the pyramid 64 in 2 in (19.56 m) The base, 198 ft (60.4 m) in diameter, is ornamented with 60 engaged Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
columns. The capitals of the columns have disappeared, but their design is preserved among the drawings of James Bruce
James Bruce
James Bruce was a Scottish traveller and travel writer who spent more than a dozen years in North Africa and Ethiopia, where he traced the origins of the Blue Nile.-Youth:...
, the Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n traveller. In the centre of the tomb are two vaulted chambers, reached by a spiral passage or gallery 6+1/2 ft, about the same height, and 489 ft (149 m). The sepulchral chambers are separated by a short passage, and are cut off from the gallery by stone doors made of a single slab which can be moved up and down by levers, like a portcullis. The larger of the two chambers is 142 ft (43.3 m) long by 11 ft (3.4 m) broad and 11 ft (3.4 m) high. The other chamber is somewhat smaller. The tomb was early violated, probably in search of treasure. In 1555 Salah Rais, pasha of Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, set men to work to pull it down, but the records say that the attempt was given up because big black wasps came from under the stones and stung them to death. At the end of the 18th century Baba Mahommed tried in vain to batter down the tomb with artillery. In 1866 it was explored by order of the emperor Napoleon III, the work being carried out by Adrien Berbrugger and Oscar Maccarthy.
Madghacen
Madghacen
Madghacen or Medracen or Medghassen or Madghis also spelled Imadghassen, correct berber spelling imedghasen is a royal mausoleum-temple of the Berber Numidian Kings which stands near Batna city in Aurasius Mons in Numidia - Algeria.- History :Madghis was a king of independent kingdoms of the...
is a monument similar to the Qabr-er-Rumia, but older. It was built about 150 B.C. as the burial-place of the Numidian kings, and is situated 35 miles (56.3 km) southwest of Constantine
Constantine, Algeria
Constantine is the capital of Constantine Province in north-eastern Algeria. It was the capital of the same-named French département until 1962. Slightly inland, it is about 80 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast, on the banks of Rhumel river...
. The form is that of a truncated cone, placed on a cylindrical base, 196 ft (59.7 m) in diameter. It is 60 ft (18.3 m) high. The columns encircling the cylindrical portion are stunted and much broader at the base than the top; the capitals are Doric. Many of the columns, 60 in number, have been much damaged. When the sepulchral chamber was opened in 1873 by Bauchetet, a French engineer officer, clear evidence was found that at some remote period the tomb had been rifled and an attempt made to destroy it by fire.
The Jedars
Jedars
Jedars is the modern archaeological name given to thirteen monumental Berber mausoleums south of Tiaret city in Algeria. The name is derived from the jidār which is used locally to refer to ancient ruins...
(Arabic "walls" or "buildings") is the name given to a number of sepulchral monuments placed on hill-tops. A rectangular or square podium is in each case surmounted by a pyramid. The tombs date from the 5th to the 7th century of the Christian era, and lie in two distinct groups between Tiaret and Frenda
Frenda
Frenda is a town and commune in Tiaret Province in northwestern Algeria. It is best known for ancient Berber monumental tombs known as Jedars. -Notable people:* Larbi Belkheir - Algerian politician* Abdelkader Benayada - Algerian association football player...
. Frenda, which has largely preserved its old Berber
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
character, has numerous dolmens and prehistoric rock sculptures close by.
Algeria contains many Roman remains besides those mentioned and is also rich in monuments of Saracenic art. For a description of the chief antiquities see the separate town articles, including, besides those already cited, Lambessa
Lambessa
Lambessa is a genus of Moth in the family Lasiocampidae....
, Tebessa
Tébessa
Tébessa is the capital city of Tébessa Province, Algeria, 20 kilometers west from the border with Tunisia. Nearby is also a phosphate mine. The city is famous for the traditional Algerian carpets in the region, and is home to over 161,440 people.-History:...
, Tipasa
Tipasa
Tipaza is a Berber-speaking town on the coast of Algeria, capital of the Tipaza province. The modern town, founded in 1857, is remarkable chiefly for its sandy beach, and ancient ruins.-Ancient history:...
and Timgad
Timgad
Timgad , called Thamugas or Tamugadi in old Berber) was a Roman colonial town in the Aures mountain- numidia Algeria founded by the Emperor Trajan around 100 AD. The full name of the town was Colonia Marciana Ulpia Traiana Thamugadi...
.