In the north of Africa, on the territory of modern Algeria (35 km east of Batna, there are the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Timgad.
The official history of the origin of this city says that the emperor Trajan in about 100 AD founded this city for the veterans of the Parthian campaign (the war between Rome and Parthia).
The question is: where is Mesopotamia and where is Algeria? Why don't the veterans stay immediately in the conquered territories? Well, let it be as the story says. And who built Timgad in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains? It is still a sparsely populated area with hundreds of kilometers between sparsely populated cities. And then?
Or was there little land that the emperor had to allocate a plot in such a place? Although, historians will say that Troyan feared for his power. Veterans could have rebelled living near Rome if something went wrong. Therefore, he settled the former military on the periphery of the Roman Empire. In my opinion, a stupid explanation, since the military, even the former, is entitled to a salary. Who will go against the emperor if he is their breadwinner? Moreover, when suppressing riots in the regions of the Roman Empire, Rome called on the veterans to return to service (they were called Evocats). This, of course, was paid.
An example of a salary for veterans. But that's not what the article is about. I propose to see in what condition this Roman city was found by archaeologists. After all, everyone understands that large-scale archaeological work for some reason began in the 19th century. Until this century, these antiquities were of no use to anyone. Which is also strange.
The first thing you pay attention to is that the buildings of the city have the same type of destruction. Allegedly, erosion and time did not spare them. But. Until the moment of excavation, no one lived in the city, not a single house was restored. Those. from the time of the decline of the Roman Empire to the present day, no one even tried to return here and resume life in the city. Even the Arab tribes of North Africa were not interested in this place. How did it happen that the city became deserted?
The photographs of Timgad from above are very reminiscent of the destruction of cities during the Second World War. Especially similar to the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the nuclear explosions. But this is only an external resemblance. There is no evidence of an ancient war with this level of weaponry. My opinion will be announced at the end of the article.
The city continues to live on the ruins of Rome. Yes, ancient buildings have not been restored everywhere. And here the locals settled away from Timgad. Although the foundations, even half of the walls are there. There are stone pavements. Rebuild and live.
Another interesting question: where are the quarries and quarries for the construction of the city? Maybe they are in the mountains, now it's hard to say. How was the city's water supply going? There must be an aqueduct. But he is not. And the baths have survived. So there was plenty of water.
Next, I propose to look at old photos with views of the city and think about the details that are now missing.
The foreground is the excavated and restored part of the city. In the background, everything lies in ruins and layers of soil.
It can be seen that this building was assembled closer to our time. They were assembled ineptly, crookedly, partially without binding the blocks. It is clear that earlier these were more ruins.
In this photo, you can estimate the level of the ground, to what depth it was buried (light color on the walls). A wooden door has also been preserved underground.
If time destroyed the buildings of the city, then it did it somehow selectively. High walls remained with the complete destruction of other parts of the building. As if it was washed away and part of it collapsed.
The result of the excavation is on the right in the photo and in the background. On the left - they have not yet begun clearing.
The photo shows the result of an apparent excavation. Ruins in the ground are visible behind the columns. And this central road was cleared of soil. The bases of the columns were underground (they have a light shade). And what was above - has traces of strong erosion.
On the right in the photo is a similar picture. The bases of the columns are intact and light.
Excavation process. It can be seen that the road in the background has been dug up. And on the front there are layers of soil with stones.
The photograph also confirms this picture. Parts of the columns that were underground are light and their surface is intact. And what was above the ground - with traces of erosion.
The amphitheater (for 3000 seats) has not yet been completely dug out. Now all its places are clearly visible.
Ruins of a building, with a double floor system. Heating and underfloor heating system, hypocaust. Perhaps these were terms.
The rest of the photos can be viewed here.
As always, the question arises: where does so much soil with stones come from? It has nothing to do with the erosion products of the rock from which the structures are built. Cultural layer? But people have not lived here for centuries. In general, who destroyed the city and why did it have to be destroyed? Indeed, by the standards of that era, it is super-technological: there are thermal baths (baths), toilets, stone roads, an amphitheater (entertainment). Many buildings were heated (hypocaust - Roman technology of warm floors). If you captured the city, then live. But historians argue that the conquerors, the barbarians, exactly destroyed. Don't you think that here, too, they once again attribute the effects of some catastrophe to the destruction of the barbarians?
Even if there was an uprising in this place, Rome would send troops and restore order. But since a global catastrophe swept across the Earth, then the Roman Empire was gone. As well as its inhabitants. I believe that the mechanism of the catastrophe here was also in water and mudflows coming out of the depths. In this place - from the mountains. The city was destroyed by a flood of mudflows. And the one who survived did not return here.
Author: sibved
