Chapter XXIV: Mukther

We devoted Tuesday, April 18, to an examination of the ruins of Mukther.

This city has been identified by nearly all the older travellers as Tucca Terebinthina. Bruce, amongst the number, appears to have entertained no doubt on the subject. It was M. Guérin[174] who first pointed out that the similarity of the modern and ancient names, coupled with their recorded distances from known places, left no doubt that Mukther was the Mactar or Oppidum Mactaritanus in the list of African bishoprics,[175] and that Tucca Terebinthina was to be sought for at the modern Dougga, about eleven miles to the south-west, where considerable ruins exist, but which must not be confounded with the more important city of the same name, near Teboursouk.

The position of Mukther is admirably chosen; it is built on a wide and elevated plateau between two water-courses, the Oued Sabon, or _river of soap_, on the north, and the Oued Mihran on the south. The banks of the former are high and precipitous, and serve as a natural defence on the north-west side of the town. This has been further fortified by a wall constructed of immense blocks of stone, placed loosely and irregularly together, resembling more the retaining wall of a terrace than a regular line of defence.

We commenced our explorations from this side of the ravine, opposite to the lower triumphal arch. On the north-west face of it was evidently the necropolis of the city. The hill-side is covered with tombs. Many contain simply records of the names and ages of the deceased, others have rudely sculptured figures. One tomb was a carefully constructed vault of cut stone, near to which was a handsome cippus, which probably was erected over it before its violation. One only struck me as sufficiently curious to deserve copying. It was evidently a family tomb, containing four inscriptions, the first of which was the rudest and the most injured by time; but what rendered it curious was the existence of two hieroglyphical figures sculptured on the stone in relief before the inscription was engraved.

On the opposite side of the ravine, and rising directly from its right bank, is a large triumphal arch, which forms the first of Bruce’s illustrations. Of this he has left us eight sheets.

1. A rough pencil outline, which has not pleased him, and which he has subsequently cancelled by a waved pencil line of obliteration; on the back are numerous architectural details and memoranda of measurement.

2. Another sheet of similar details and measurements.

3. A beautifully executed perspective view, done on the spot, showing the actual condition of the monument, without any foreground or other accessories. (Plate XVII.)

4. A highly finished Indian-ink drawing, from the same point of view, decorated (!) with an impossible landscape, probably by Balugani; instead of the gentle slope of the hill on the other side of the ravine, bare of trees and destitute of water, there is a foaming cataract on one side, and an extensive vista of river, wood, plain and mountain on the other.

5. A highly finished plan and elevation.

6. A highly finished drawing in Indian ink of the Corinthian order of arch.

J. LEITCH &. Co. Sc.

LOWER ARCH AT MACTAR (MUKTHER)

FAC-SIMILE OF INDIAN INK DRAWING BY BRUCE.

HENRY S. KING Co. LONDON.]

TRIUMPHAL ARCH AT MACTAR (MUKTHER.)

FROM A PHOTOGRAPH BY THE EARL OF KINGSTON]

J. LEITCH &. Co. Sc.

LOWER ARCH AT MACTAR (MUKTHER)

FAC SIMILE OF PLATE OF ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS

EXECUTED BY BRUCE AFTER HIS RETURN TO SCOTLAND.

HENRY S. KING Co. LONDON.]

7. A highly finished drawing, representing architectural details of soffits, cornice, and architrave. (Plate XIX.)

8. A highly finished drawing of soffits of architrave of order.

This arch is of a richer architectural composition than that of Trajan, which will presently be described. It has but a single opening, without archivolt, flanked by two square niches, with rounded heads, underneath the level of the impost. Four Corinthian columns corresponding to pilasters enrich both façades. These existed nearly entire in Bruce’s time, and even M. Guérin mentions ‘un petit vestibule soutenu sur deux colonnes corinthiennes,’[176] but these have now entirely disappeared, although the stylobates are still in place. The whole entablature seems as though it had been thrown down since Bruce’s drawing was made, and the stones all piled up again without much regard to order. It is more likely, however, that this may be only a general dislocation of the building, caused by an earthquake. Fragments of cornice highly decorated may be seen here and there in the crumbling mass, and the very rich treatment of the impost, which is in a tolerably good state of preservation, would attest the magnificence of the building, even if Bruce’s exhaustive designs did not exist. To show the present condition of this monument, a photograph taken by my companion, the Earl of Kingston, is also given (Plate XVIII.)

The two façades are identical; on the ravine side the foundations are entirely exposed to view, and consist of a mass of rubble masonry, twelve or thirteen feet in height, between which and the floor of the arch are three courses of substantial cut stones, but there is no appearance of this having been connected with any other structure.

It is difficult to understand that a building of this nature could have been constructed at the edge of a ravine without there being an arch of some kind to span the latter. Mr. Davis says that he observed part of a paved road on the opposite side of the ravine, from which he infers that a bridge must have existed;[177] but after the most careful search, with his work in my hands, I was unable to trace any vestige of this. Probably therefore the ravine, if it existed at all in ancient times, has been much deepened by the action of water during the last sixteen hundred winters.

M. Guérin mentions that he discovered amongst the débris, at the base of the monument, ‘a sculptured Greek cross, which would assign to this monument a date posterior to the Christian era.’[178]

I recognised this stone without difficulty, and though it is much obliterated by time, I feel confident that it is actually the detail of soffit, figured by Bruce in Sheet 7, above mentioned. This is shown on Plate XIX.; the lowest figure, with all the details of the acanthus leaves worn off, might easily be taken to represent a Greek cross.

Unfortunately, no trace of inscription remains, although a search amongst the débris, which encumbers the base of the inner façade, might be rewarded by success.

The dimensions of this arch given on the plan and elevation are as follows:—

Ft. in. lines.

Opening of arch 16 11 4

Breadth of pier 13 6 0

Depth of pier 12 6 3

Distance between columns 5 8 4

Diameter of column 2 4 4

Distance between column and pilaster 3 9 0

Height of stylobate 6 5 2

„ base of column 1 2 4

„ shaft of column 17 8 6

„ capital 2 3 6

„ entablature 5 3 0

„ attic 11 6 4

„ arch to keystone 26 0 0

Total height of building 44 9 4

Close to the arch is a group of olive-trees, and a delicious spring rises from the ground a few yards further off. During the whole of our ride yesterday we noticed at intervals rocks consisting of a mass of petrified oyster-shells; here also they recur, and in the spring I have just mentioned are two frusta of columns made of this material, which has an excellent effect.

In the ravine below the arch we observed a Lybian tombstone, containing the representation of a figure with the face mutilated, holding objects like ears of corn in his hand, and three lines of inscription below.

From this arch a paved road led towards the south-west, where it conducted to a large building, on the site of which the tomb of one of the members of the family of Sidi Ali bin Amer has been built. Numbers of monolithic columns of limestone lie scattered about, and one still remains in position. Bruce, in his notes, thus alludes to this building:—

There were the ruins of a Corinthian temple, surrounded by a portico, at the south-west end of the town, but it was thus thrown down lately, as was another smaller one built over a fountain, for the sake of the lead which joined the stones together.

Here I identified a small fragment of the inscription recorded by Sir Grenville Temple,[179] from which he concludes that either this temple or the neighbouring amphitheatre was built in the reign of Trajan. The inscription as it now exists is . . . AIANI PAR . . . Sir Grenville supplies two other letters, TH. As the name of Trajan here appears in the genitive case, it is more probable that it was built in the time of Hadrian, and that the inscription would have been, TRAIANI PARTHICI FILIVS.

Continuing along this road, on the left hand, is a small amphitheatre constructed of rubble masonry, faced, no doubt, at one time with cut stones, to judge from the number lying about. It is of elliptical form, the major axis being about 160 feet, and the minor one about 114.

A little further off, and to the right, are the remains of a building which M. Guérin believes to have been a temple of Diana,[180] he having found the name of that goddess on a fragment of marble, which had probably formed the base of a statue. The building is too much ruined to permit any conjecture as to its destination, and though I searched diligently, I failed to find the inscription in question.

The road now leads to the triumphal arch of Trajan, which appears to have stood in the centre of the town facing the south, and which forms the second of Bruce’s illustrations. There are six sheets of designs of this monument.

1. A sketch taken upon the ground apparently, in Indian ink without any landscape. (Plate XX.)

2. A highly finished Indian-ink perspective view with back and foreground of the usual character, a camp of soldiers, sheep, cattle, Arabs, &c.

3. A finished Indian-ink plan and elevation to scale.

4. Finished drawing in Indian-ink, to scale, of details of minor order and its pediment.

5. Finished Indian ink drawing, to scale, of details of major order.

6. Pencil memoranda of details and measurements.

This building in its proportions and treatment is very grand and simple. The solid mass of the front is much higher than it is wide. The principal order is Corinthian, with a single three-quarters attached column near the angle, supported on a lofty pedestal or stylobate; it has the usual base and capital, and the shaft is seven frusta high. The architrave and frieze over the columns consist of one plain block without any mouldings, which is not carried along the face. The cornice is the usual one, handsomely but not elaborately enriched. Three courses of the attic remained in the time of Bruce; portions of two courses only are now in place. In the centre of this block is an archway, having its own peculiar treatment. On each side of the opening is a smaller semi-engaged Corinthian column, raised on a stylobate equal in height to that of the major order; the impost of the arch runs all round the monument, intercepted only by the columns. There is no impost to the arch-head, which consists only of the radiating cunei; and the soffit is quite plain. The capitals of the columns flanking the archway rise somewhat higher than the archway itself, and are surmounted by an architrave, a lofty plain frieze, on which is the inscription, and a simple cornice with a pediment above. In the middle of this there is a square opening, giving access probably to a chamber over the arch. The whole treatment is dignified and reserved.

The inscription on the frieze of the minor order has been given more fully by Bruce than by succeeding travellers, and much more so than can be deciphered at the present day. It runs thus:—

IMP. CAESAR. DIVI. NERVAE . F.

TRAIANO . OPTIMO . AVG. GER.

DACIO . PARTHICO . P.M. TRIB

POTEST. XX. IMP. XII. COS. VI

. . . . FAVSTIN . OS. DEDI. D.D. P.P.

The mention of the twentieth year of the tribunate of Hadrian fixes the date as the last year of his reign, A.D. 117.

The arch has been built up with loose stones, and has evidently been surrounded by a wall, to convert it into a fortified position.

The building has not suffered greatly since Bruce’s time, but it is buried almost to the level of the impost in débris. As Bruce’s sketch shows no sign of the loose masonry wall, it is possible that this may have been constructed by the Arabs; at the same time it is not improbable that he might purposely have omitted it, as having no connection with the history of the building.

The dimensions given on the plan and elevation are:—

Ft. in. lines.

Width of arch 12 8 6

From side to column of minor order 1 11 0

Diameter of column of minor order 1 7 3

Intercolumnar space 3 3 6

Diameter of column of major order 2 7 0

Thence to end of building 1 5 0

Total depth of building 11 8 0

Height of stylobate 5 3 0

„ base of column of minor order 0 11 4

„ shaft „ „ 13 5 6

„ capital „ „ 1 10 6

„ entablature of column of minor
order 3 10 10

„ cornice „ „ 1 7 1

„ pediment „ „ 4 6 5

„ base of column of major order 1 5 2

„ shaft „ „ 22 0 0

„ capital „ „ 2 11 2

„ thence to cornice „ 2 9 6

„ cornice „ „ 2 5 3

„ thence to summit „ 3 1 4

Total height of edifice 40 1 0

J. LEITCH &. Co. Sc.

ARCH OF TRAJAN AT MACTAR (MUKTHER)

FAC-SIMILE OF INDIAN INK DRAWING BY BRUCE.

HENRY S. KING Co. LONDON.]

To the south-south-west of this is a very large building, which Sir Grenville Temple and M. Guérin believe to have been a palace or a church, but which I am inclined to consider public thermæ. There is a large central hall, twenty paces long by twelve broad, the north and south ends of which were almost entirely occupied by immense arches. On each of the other sides were three arched openings, the central one of which was the largest, giving access to lateral chambers, now entirely destroyed. Near the north-west angle is a large well, more than twelve feet in diameter, whence probably the water supply of the establishment was derived. The construction was very massive, partly of rubble and partly of cut-stone masonry. This building, like Trajan’s arch, had been converted into a fortress by a bastioned wall constructed of old materials, amongst which I observed two Christian tombstones; one had a cross inscribed within a circle, the other the monogram of Christ, with the Alpha and Omega.

About midway between Trajan’s arch and the double-storied mausoleum was a large and important pile of buildings, which might well have been a governor’s palace. The construction is of rubble masonry, but the voussoirs of the arches and some of the facings are of huge blocks of cut stone. It is much encumbered with débris, in which it is buried up to the imposts of the arches.

Beyond this is the mausoleum just alluded to; it consists of a sepulchral chamber containing seventeen carefully cut columbaria. Above this was an open chamber with a portico in front for statuary, the whole being surmounted by an elevated pyramid. Exteriorly the sides are ornamented by Corinthian pilasters. Above the door was an inscription; this has quite disappeared with the exception of the dedicatory letters D.M.S., which are of unusual size. Below this was a sculptured representation, now almost effaced, but from what remains there can be no doubt that the subject was exactly the same as that on the mausoleum of Julius Proculus, the procession of a bull to the sacrificial altar, one probably in common use like the cross on Christian tombs.

The second mausoleum, to which I have just alluded, is on the right bank of the Oued Sabon, near the lower triumphal arch; it was of similar construction to the other, but has only the lower storey remaining. Above the door the sculpture is in a very perfect condition, except that the faces of the persons assisting at the procession have been obliterated by chisels. Above this, occupying the whole length of the front side is a long inscription, part of which has been thrown down and is lying amongst the débris. Both Sir Grenville Temple[181] and M. Pelissier[182] have given portions of this inscription. M. Guérin,[183] however, has given as much of it as it is possible to decipher. It shows that the tomb was erected to commemorate Julius Proculus, who, ever since his assumption of the _toga virilis_, had devoted himself to the study of elocution, and was much admired by his fellow-citizens.

To the west of Trajan’s arch is an aqueduct of large cut stones. The piers of the arches are five feet six inches in thickness, and the intervals between them eleven feet eight inches.

Although the ground between the ruins is so thickly strewn with loose stones as to render walking a difficult and painful operation, it was during our visit covered with crops of wheat and barley. It is difficult to understand how any plough could be got to work under such circumstances. There was, of course, no attempt to clear away any of the stones; that would be too much to expect from an Arab husbandman. Perhaps from their point of view they are right; land is so abundant and population so scanty, that it pays them better to sow two acres in a superficial manner than to cultivate one with greater care and thus produce heavier crops.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 174: Guérin, i. pp. 396, 418.]

[Footnote 175: Morcelli, i. p. 209.]

[Footnote 176: Guérin, i. p. 409.]

[Footnote 177: Davis, _Ruined Cities_, i. p. 79.]

[Footnote 178: Guérin, i. p. 409.]

[Footnote 179: Temple, App. No. 137.]

[Footnote 180: Guérin, i. p. 409.]

[Footnote 181: Temple, ii. p. 341.]

[Footnote 182: Pelissier, p. 286.]

[Footnote 183: Guérin, i. p. 413.]