Gigthis

Gigthis (Arabic: Arabic: جكتيس, also transliterated *Jektiss* or *Jektis*) is an ancient Punic and Roman archaeological site located in southern Tunisia, within the modern Medenine Governorate. The site lies at the bottom of the Gulf of Boughrara, facing the island of Djerba, along the ancient coastal route linking Carthage to Leptis Magna. Originally founded as a Phoenician trading post, Gigthis later became part of the Numidian kingdom before being incorporated into the Roman province of Africa Nova in 46 BCE following the Battle of Thapsus. It was subsequently attached to Africa Proconsularis and, after Diocletian's administrative reforms, to the province of Tripolitania. Covering approximately 50 hectares on a coastal plateau about 10 metres above sea level. The site opens eastward toward the Gulf and preserves extensive remains from the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods. Its urban layout, monumental centre, and associated necropolis illustrate the development and prosperity of the ancient city, particularly during the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE.