Breakthrough in the excavations of the University of Sassari in Tunisia

The University of Sassari continues its commitment in the Tunisian area to combine scientific research in archeology and training.   On the site of Numluli in Northern Tunisia , the subject of excavations directed by Moheddine Chaouali (INP-Institut National du Patrimoine of Tunis) and Alessandro Teatini (professor of Classical Archeology at the Turritan university), a marble statue of approximately 55 centimeters has come to light in recent months, depicting a young shepherd in a tunic. The discovery quickly attracted international media attention.

Numluli is among the best preserved towns in northern Tunisia and is home to the project Training the Next Generation of Archaeologists , an award-winning initiative within the ECL focused on field training and archaeological excavations, and hosted an event from 20 January to 17 February Winter School of Archaeology organized in collaboration with the Institut National du Patrimoine of Tunis. 

«Numluli is one of the best preserved Roman cities in northern Tunisia, offering an almost intact vision of the public, religious and urban life of a municipium from Roman times to the early Christian period, yet until today it had never been systematically excavated», declares Professor Teatini. «The structure of the city is clearly legible: we can identify the forum, dominated by the Temple of Capitoline Jupiter, as well as the main public buildings of a Roman city», adds Teatini.

The discovery of the statue is very significant; the small figure of Eros, found nearby, was part of the same sculptural group. The sculpture, of fine workmanship and in an excellent state of preservation although largely encrusted with earth, is polychrome: large dark colored backgrounds remain on the shepherd's shoes, on the fleece of the sheep and lamb and on Eros' wings. At the moment it is still difficult to propose an interpretation for this character: the presence of Eros allows us to hypothesize that he is not a simple shepherd but a mythological figure or the idealized image of the shepherd with idyllic values, whose nature it will be necessary to understand through a targeted study.

The discovery of a polychrome Greek marble statue — exceptionally rare in the Tunisian hinterland — indicates the circulation of high-quality artistic materials and aesthetic traditions far beyond coastal centers, suggesting a level of connection and cultural ambition not always associated with these regions. At the same time, the inscriptions found inside the early Christian basilica, which explicitly refer to the Vandal kings, offer a rare and direct epigraphic testimony to the political and religious realities of North Africa in late antiquity. Taken together, these discoveries not only enrich knowledge of Numluli, but also provide new insights into the intersection of art, power and identity in a period of profound transformations in the region's history.

After the Winter School, a Summer School is planned

The team aims to further develop the initiative by also transforming it into a Summer School. The epigraphic research, led by Antonio Ibba, has already produced significant results, including new inscriptions that have emerged inside the basilica.

The project is among the 11 winners of the Expandere Conscientiae Lumen Grant of the Ancient Rome Live platform, organized on behalf of the American Institute for Roman Culture, directed by Darius Arya, thanks to funding from the Musk Foundation. The research concerns the municipium of Numluli, one of the best preserved Roman cities in northern Tunisia, corresponding to the modern locality of El Matria, in the Governate of Béja: the works are carried out there on the basis of a partnership agreement signed in October 2024 by the Director of the Institut National du Patrimoine of Tunis and the Rector of the University of Sassari, where the joint direction of the research is assigned to Moheddine Chaouali of the INP and to Alessandro Teatini with Antonio Ibba of Uniss.