Chemtou Museum
| متحف شمتو الاثري | |
 Chemtou Museum entrance | |
| Location | Chemtou, Tunisia |
|---|---|
| Type | archaeological museum |
| Collection size | Numidian items |
| Website | Official website |
The Chemtou Museum is an archaeological museum located in Chemtou, Tunisia. The museum was designed by archaeologists with the Tunisian National Heritage Institute and the German Archaeological Institute with offices located in Rome, Italy. It has the distinction of being located in the area of the old Roman city of Simmithu, near the entrepot's marble quarry in what was the ancient Berber kingdom of Numidia.
Marble quarries
The exploitation of marble began on site in the 2nd century and was operated by the Roman emperors. The location of the area, not far from the Medjerda River, allowed for mass production for export.
The museum presents the archaeological discoveries made nearby. Among the remains exposed, include sandstone green schist (dated from the 3rd century BC). A tiara has also been excavated, which belonged to the Numidian royal family. In addition, there is the restored façade of a religious monument on a hill nearby.
A series of Roman mill races to horizontal water turbines have also been discovered. This indicates that technologically, part of the activities at the site had been mechanised.
See also
References
- Aïcha, Ben Abed, Carthage. Capitale de l'Africa, Connaissance des arts, hors-série Carthage n°69, 1995, p. 28.
External links
- chimtou.com, museum's official website
- Musée de Chemtou at l'Institut national du patrimoine (in French)
Coordinates: 36°29′23″N 8°34′37″E / 36.48972°N 8.57694°E