DRAFT

Large House with peristyle and basins

Contributor: Brandon Wilson
Published: 2020-11-16
Modified: 2025-06-29

Province

Province Description

An ancient district of Africa in Roman times, Mauretania lay west of Numidia and covered most of present-day Morocco and western Algeria. By the second century BCE, when Jugurtha of Numidia was rebelling against Rome, Jugurtha's father-in-law Bocchus had most of Mauretania under his control. In 25 BCE Augustus appointed Juba II as ruler of Mauretania. Claudius divided it into two provinces: Mauretania Caesariensis, with Caesarea (modern Cherchel) as capital, and Mauretania Tingitana, with Tingis (modern Tangier) as capital. By the end of the 5th century CE, the province had disappeared.

Location

Portus Magnus \

Location Description

The ancient city is located about 5 km from the modern city of Arzew and 35 km northeast of Oran. An important settlement on the west coast of Algeria, it served as a Roman trading post and naval base during the early Roman Empire period.

Garden

Large House with peristyle and basins

Keywords

Garden Description

The house with a symmetrical floor plan and an axial entry was laid out around a peristyle made up of 20 columns. Many rooms opened onto this space, which have contained a garden. Three semicircular basins extended into the courtyard of the peristyle. A circular pool was centered in the courtyard.

A corridor (see Fig. 1, label M) was bordered by two small gardens (labels N and O) enclosed on two sides by a portico. A semi circular basin extend into each garden. A large reception room had a view of the garden and basins.

Plans

Plan of Large House with peristyle and basins in Portus Magnus. The principle entry to the house is along the north wall, centered on the symmetrical floor plan. A rectangular entry room (longer than wide) gives a view of small gardens to each side, framing the primary hallway linking the northern half of the house to the large, central peristyle garden. Groups of rooms frame the east and west sides of this garden, with a long hallway extending along the southern edge of the house, linking additional rooms to the east and west not shown in the plan. A small room extends from this southern wall, directly opposite the northern entrance.
Fig. 1: Plan of Large House with peristyle and basins in Portus Magnus

Dates

Excavation Dates

Bibliography

  • S. Gsell, Monuments Antiques de l'Algérie, Paris, 1901, p. 19-21, fig. 87. worldcat

Places

Explore the places containing this garden: