a comparative study of a Roman frontier province. - Historia Antigua

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itself (the building units are more fully described in Jones and Barker
1980,32-34).
As we have observed, the internal arrangement is inferior to Magrusa
where a single hut complex contains as many rooms as the entire Magrusa
north site. The largest building on the latter site comprises 5 rooms and
is in any case divided into two separate units. It is a possibility that
Magrusa north was built to house the same size of sub-tribal, hierarchical
unit as utilised each one of the large complexes on Magrusa itself. Both
would seem suitable to house an extended family group or small clan.
Early ARS was also collected from this site.
Dimensions : 92 m (N - S); 30 m (E -W max. )
Area : 0.25 ha Original survey for ULVP : D. Mattingly
J. H. Allan
(f) Magrusa east (ZZ4) Figure 13c
Situated on another detached outlier, this time to the east of the wadi
Magrusa, Magrusa east is a contrasting site to the previous two and more
closely resembles Mdhaweb I.
The spur top is only built on at its north and south ends, but the
buildings rival those of Mdhaweb I for architectural pretension. The
north structure had no direct access onto the plateau, its solitary entrance
in its west side giving out onto a difficult descent. This building is
similar in plan and construction to the gsur of the Ghirza region. The
masonry is of roughly squared and trimmed blocks, neatly coursed to form
two faces with a rubble core. The interior of the building is divided into
two parts each facing onto a yard. The outer yard, through which entrance
was made, was surrounded by three rooms which perhaps served as stores or
stables. The inner court was reached through a doorway and was flanked by
12 living rooms, though those on the west side have now been slightly eroded.
This part of the building looks like a typical single storey gasr.
The southern area of the plateau was occupied by two distinct groups of
buildings. The first complex much resembled that just described. The neat
masonry, traces of two external staircases, niches, windows and a stone door
lintel clearly show a degree of architectural pretension. The complex was
entered through a two-storey "tower". The rest of the rooms were then
entered off a corridor behind the tower or a yard area. It is possible that
these two buildings were the residence(s) of a sub-tribal chief or chiefs in
the later
Roman period.
The other buildings are of much rougher construction (similar to those
of the other Magrusa sties). They were apparently constructed after the
southern complex as they seem to respect its position. One of these is a
simple 3 room unit; the other forms anL-shape of 8 rooms with a long
narrow building (21 x7m; perhaps a byre) attached to its north side.
These are best interpreted as service or subsidiary buildings for the main
southern complex. The dating of all these structures seems to be roughly
contemporary, third to fourth centuries A. D. A fragment of quernstone was
also
found.
Dimensions : c. 180 m (N - S); 60 m (E -W max. )
Area : 0.635 ha (built up area 0.25 ha)
Original survey for ULVP : D. Mattingly, J. H. Allan
APP .
2.