Carthage - Punic Quarte

(Local Name: Quartier Punique) To the south of the Museum in Carthage is the Quartier Punique (Punic Quarter). Excavation has shown that in the earliest period the hill was used as a burial-ground. In the fifth century the Carthaginians built workshops here, which later gave place to houses. After the destruction of Carthage the hill remained unoccupied. It was only in the reign of Augustus (30 B.C.-A.D. 14) that the summit of the hill was leveled off - involving the destruction of the Punic remains, including a temple of Eshmun (Asklepios) which stood here - and work began on the construction of a huge forum and Capitol. This was the starting-point of the two main axes of Roman Carthage, the decumanus running