Temple of Juno Caelestis (Dougga)

Coordinates: 36°25′22″N 9°12′56″E / 36.42288°N 9.21569°E / 36.42288; 9.21569
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Temple of Juno Caelestis
LocationDougga, Tunisia
Coordinates36°25′22″N 9°12′56″E / 36.42288°N 9.21569°E / 36.42288; 9.21569
TypeTemple
History
BuilderRoman Empire
MaterialStone

The Temple of Juno Caelestis is an archaeological site in Dougga, Tunisia. The ruined temple was dedicated to the Roman goddess Juno, herself an evolution of the Punic goddess Tanit. The temple was built between AD 222 and 235,[1] and is one of the best preserved temples dedicated to Juno in Africa.[2]

Description[edit]

The temple was built between AD 222 and 235 during the reign of Severus Alexander. The temple was dedicated to the Roman goddess Juno, whom the residents of Dougga widely associated with the Punic goddess Tanit. As opposed to other archaeological sites at Dougga, the Temple was built on the outer edges of the city. The temple's tenemos is shaped like a crescent, a traditional symbol of Juno.[3]

The temple was first excavated in the 1890s, and restoration work on the temple began in 1904. Renewed interest in Dougga's archaeological sites resulted in the temple being examined 1999 and 2002.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Raven, Susan (2012-12-06). Rome in Africa. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-89240-2.
  2. ^ Harden, D. B. (1937). "The Pottery from the Precinct of Tanit at Salammbo, Carthage". Iraq. 4 (1): 59–90. doi:10.2307/4241606. ISSN 0021-0889. JSTOR 4241606. S2CID 191385318.
  3. ^ DeLaine, Janet (2005). "An essential manual on domestic architecture - PIERRE GROS, L'ARCHITECTURE ROMAINE DU DÉBUT DU IIIE SIÈCLE AV. J.-C. À LA FIN DU HAUT-EMPIRE, vol. 2. MAISONS, PALAIS, VILLAS ET TOMBEAUX (Les Manuels d'Art et d'Archéologie antiques; Picard, Paris 2001). Pp. 527, figs. 624, colour pls. 20. ISBN 2-7084-0533-0. FF 580". Journal of Roman Archaeology. 18: 577–582. doi:10.1017/s1047759400007686. ISSN 1047-7594. S2CID 190182195.
  4. ^ Sophie Saint-Amans, op. cit., p. 275