Organized by Marie Theres Wittmann (University of Oxford) in collaboration with Rubina Raja (Aarhus University) and Andrew Wilson (University of Oxford), the event brought together scholars from archaeology and ancient history to discuss the profound social and economic transformations in Roman North Africa during these two eventful centuries.

The workshop aimed to provide a nuanced understanding of the region’s development by integrating archaeology, ancient literature, epigraphy, religious and economic studies in order to unravel the multi-facetted developments of that time and perhaps tracing some causal or parallel relationships between them. Discussions focused on key themes, including the high level of building activity and the key players within the public cityscape, economic specialization, especially in the large-scale production of olive oil, and religious change from the Punic up to the Roman period, while also considering the influences of indigenous populations, namely the Baquates inhabiting the area around Volubilis in the Middle Atlas, and comparable developments in the Syrian Hauran at the same time.

The event fostered a dynamic exchange of ideas, enhancing our understanding of Roman North Africa’s complex socio-economic landscape.