Zian, North Africa

Zian, also known as Zitha, is a locality and archaeological site near Bou Gharain south Tunisia.

Cities of Tunisia.

The site represents the ruins of a civitas of the Syrtica region in the Roman Province of Byzacena (Roman North Africa).[1][2] The ancient town was founded under the Roman Emperor Claudius in the 1st century. An older town or village may have stood on the site however.[3] The ancient town was centered on a colonnaded Forum with three Roman Temples at one end. It was intended to be an emporium and is shown on the Peutinger Map as lying on the east-west trade road, and undoubtedly had commercial connections to the nearby port of Githis (modern Bou Ghara). The Roman town remains largely unexcavated.[4] A small bust of Claudius was erected in the forum. The town had a pottery[5] and amphorae making industry from the 1st to the 3rd century.[6] The ruins of Zitha now known as Henchir Zian have revealed a number of inscriptions[7] At some point in late antiquity the civitas was elevated to be a municipality.