Ancient Tunisia: Carthage, History of Punic-era Tunisia, History of Roman-era Tunisia, Early history of Tunisia, History of Punic-era Tunisia

Overview

Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: History of Punic-Era Tunisia, History of Roman-Era Tunisia, Early History of Tunisia, History of Ancient Tunisia. Excerpt: History of Tunisia The Early History of Tunisia includes the last millennia of prehistory and the earliest recorded history of its native Berber people . Subjects addressed include early artifacts, language, ethnicity, inscriptions and writings, and modern commentary and reconstructions concerning their ancient livelihood, religion, social organization, as well as historically enduring tribal confederacies. Perhaps eight millennia ago, already there were prior peoples established here, among whom the proto-Berbers (coming from the east) mingled and mixed, and from whom the Berber people would spring, during an era of their ethno-genesis. Today half or more of modern Tunisians appear to be the descendants of Berber ancestors. Berber background The people commonly known today as the Berbers were anciently more often known as Libyans ; yet many "Berbers" have for long self-identified as Imazighen or "free people" (etymology uncertain). Mommsen, a widely admired historian of the 19th century, wrote: "They call themselves in the Riff near Tangier Amâzigh , in the Sahara Imôshagh , and the same name meets us, referred to particular tribes, on several occasions among the Greeks and Romans, thus as Maxyes at the founding of Carthage, as Mazices in the Roman period at different places in the Mauretanian north coast; the similar designation that has remained with the scattered remnants proves that this great people has once had a consciousness, and has permanently retained the impression, of the relationship of its members." Other names were used by their ancient neighbors: Libyans (by Egyptians and later by Greeks), Nomades (by Greeks), Numidians (by Romans), and la...