STUDY OF TERRACOTTA VAULTING TUBES FROM A NEW ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE IN MLAKOU, ALGERIA

Abstract

Several archaeological excavation projects have been initiated over the last decade at ancient sites in many regions of Algeria. One of the newly excavated sites is referred to here as "Mlakou", a region in the department of Bejaia, Algeria. This paper reports on the unearthing of archaeological and architectural vaults built with terracotta vaulting tubes from the Roman period. The vaulting tube was a widespread construction material in Roman North Africa and was the subject of several studies spanning several Mediterranean countries, though very little of these were from Algeria. Vaulting tubes have been excavated from many sites across Algeria both on coastal sites (Souk Ahras, Setif, Guelma, Tebassa, Batna, Tipaza and Chélif) and deep in the desert (Biskara). The results of this work would contribute to the existing bulk of knowledge on the use and manufacturing techniques of vaulting tubes in Roman architecture. In addition, the study draws a comparative analysis with nine other vaulting tube types in terms of decoration technique, dimensions, shape and location.