Source: Xinhua News Client
Photo taken at Ben Arous Forest Site in Tunisia on July 16 by Xinhua reporter Zhou Haojin
Xinhua News Agency, Tunis, July 16 (Reporter Zhou Haojin) – The Archaeological Research Center of the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China and the Tunisian Institute of Cultural Heritage announced on the 16th the completion of joint archaeological excavations at the Ben Arous Forest Site in Tunisia, and held a completion ceremony for the site conservation and interpretation project on the same day.
Wan Li, Chinese Ambassador to Tunisia, stated in his address that the China-Tunisia joint archaeological project at Ben Arous Forest Site has provided new first-hand materials for the study of ancient Tunisian civilizations and enriched the Tunisian perspective for understanding Mediterranean civilizations. Archaeologists from both sides conducted equal cooperation with mutual respect, vividly practicing the Global Civilizations Initiative. As two ancient countries with profound historical roots, China and Tunisia should expand cooperation to achieve win-win results and open up a bright future of shared prosperity for both nations.
Tong Wei, Deputy Director of the Archaeological Research Center of the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China, delivered a speech, noting that the joint China-Tunisia archaeological team worked closely to uncover a high-grade aristocratic settlement at Ben Arous Forest Site featuring temple sacrificial zones, aristocratic residential quarters, public bathing areas and craft workshops. The discoveries have played a vital role in advancing research on Carthaginian and ancient Roman civilizations in Tunisia. Building on these findings, the team carried out the site conservation and interpretation project to turn the site into a compact yet exquisite heritage park open to local residents, facilitating the protection and public access of cultural heritage.
Photo taken at Ben Arous Forest Site in Tunisia on July 16 by Xinhua reporter Zhou Haojin
Tarek Bakouch, Director General of the Tunisian National Institute of Cultural Heritage, said in his address that the close collaboration of the joint archaeological team has yielded remarkable outcomes. Both countries boast abundant cultural heritage resources, and he hoped to take this cooperation as an opportunity to explore greater potential for bilateral archaeological collaboration.
The site was discovered in 2019 by a Chinese enterprise undertaking the construction of the China-aided Ben Arous Youth Sports Complex, with immediate protective measures implemented afterwards. In June 2023, China and Tunisia signed a joint archaeological cooperation agreement to launch comprehensive archaeological surveys, excavations and research across the area. Over three years, the team completed archaeological surveys covering 130,000 square meters around the site, with a total excavation area of 1,700 square meters.
Photo taken at Ben Arous Forest Site in Tunisia on July 16 by Xinhua reporter Zhou Haojin
Photo taken at Ben Arous Forest Site in Tunisia on July 16 by Xinhua reporter Zhou Haojin
Photo taken at Ben Arous Forest Site in Tunisia on July 16 by Xinhua reporter Zhou Haojin
Editor-in-Charge: Liu Yang
Reprinted from Xinhua News Client
