(ECNS) -- A joint Chinese-Tunisian archaeological team has completed excavations at Tunisia’s Ben Arous Forest archaeological site, the archaeological research center under China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration and Tunisia’s National Heritage Institute announced on Thursday.
The excavations uncovered an aristocratic settlement dating from the Carthaginian and ancient Roman periods. The site included a temple and ritual area, aristocratic residences, public baths, and craft workshops, providing new evidence for research into Tunisia’s ancient civilizations.
The team also completed a conservation and exhibition project, turning the site into a small public archaeological park.
Chinese and Tunisian archaeologists conduct field archaeological surveys in 2023. (Photo: National archaeological research center of National Cultural Heritage Administration)
The site was discovered and immediately protected in 2019 during the construction of the China-aided Ben Arous Sports and Cultural Center for Youth. In June 2023, China and Tunisia signed a joint archaeological cooperation agreement covering archaeological investigation, excavation, and conservation at the site.
Over the past three years, the team surveyed 130,000 square meters around the site and excavated a total area of 1,700 square meters. Both sides said they would seek to expand archaeological cooperation and conduct further joint work at other sites.
