Topographies of Production in North African Cities during the Vandal and Byzantine Periods

Abstract

An important characteristic of North African cities in Late Antiquity is the appearance of structures relating to artisanal production in unusual settings, often in former public buildings. In this paper I argue for developing a study of this sector, looking not only at products, such as pottery, but also at productive structures and their wider urban location. Archaeological evidence from Tunisia and Tripolitania is analysed, dating from Vandal, Byzantine and also, occasionally, Early Islamic times, relating principally to murex dyeing, fish salting, olive oil production and pottery manufacturing. Lime kilns are also considered.