Google Earth Tour: Ancient Africa - The "Forgotten" Roman Empire

A recent interview by Lyn with author of North Africa: The Roman Coast, Ethel Davies, inspired me to take another look at Roman archaeological finds across this somewhat forgotten continent. When most people think of the Roman Empire, they immediately envision the temples, statues and amphitheatres spanning across Europe. But the vast coastal border of North Africa was controlled by the Romans too, and they certainly left their mark!

Ethel Davies listed her top ten sites across North Africa, which I've compiled into an easy to navigate Google Earth Tour, which will whisk you across the continent in just minutes! It's complete with images and key facts about ancient relics across the vast continent. The tour enables you to fly over and explore the sites and their surroundings, and where you see a Heritage Key logo, you can click it and you'll see more information about the adjacent landmark.

To view this Google Earth Tour, you will need to download additional software created by Google. You will require Google Earth 5.0 which will need to be installed in order to explore the aerial photography in a 3D environment. Once the software is installed, you will need to return to this webpage and download Google Earth Plugin (Your browser should meet minimum requirements). the Plugin can be downloaded by selecting it in the panel below:

To open webpages in a new window, right click the link in the information window and select "Open link in new window". This will enable you to view the link in a full web browser.

You can also download this tour to your computer by clicking here, selecting "Save" and then running the file. It will automatically open Google Earth and begin the Heritage Key: Ancient Rome tour.

Have a look through our previous Heritage Key Google Earth Tours, and subscribe to be notified when new ones are added!

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About The Author

Prad Patel

Prad "Praddles" Patel is Heritage Key's Media Co-ordinator. Coming from an Architectural background, he has been a keen technology enthusiast ever since he got given his first Tamagotchi. He is an artist and experienced virtual world developer, and has poked around in more social networks than he cares to think about. He is fascinated with the Roman and Greek influence on the Western World today, and how Indian and Chinese heritage and culture will influence the world in the future (other than via food takeaways).

He's also enjoys adrenaline rushes, sour tasting Haribo sweets, and curling up in bed with a good book. He does not enjoy snow or trains.

Last three pieces by this author: Your World in 3D - Athens Recreated in Google Earth, Ancient World in London Videos - Now Available to Download from iTunes!, Daily Flickr Finds: Manju's London Sphinx

Interesting Articles And Blog Posts

Author Interview: Ethel Davies' North Africa Adventures

Travel writer, photographer and ancient history addict Ethel Davies chats to Heritage Key about her adventures in the Roman world.

Roman Africa: Preserved by the Sahara

The voracious Roman conquerors came to Africa destroying Phoenician and Berber towns, then rebuilding with their own brand of functional yet ostentatious architecture. Today many of those towns are still visible, preserved and protected since antiquity by the Sahara's sands.

Interesting Publications

North Africa: The Roman Coast

Bradt Travel Guides (15 Jun 2009)

by Ethel Davies

Rome in Africa

Routledge (1993)

by Susan Raven

Three Thousand Years in Africa

Cambridge University Press (2009)

by Graham Connah

The Essential Art of African Textiles: Design Without End

Yale University Press (2008)

by Alisa LaGamma, Christine Giuntini

Rome in the Ancient World: From Romulus to Justinian

Thames & Hudson (2009)

by David Potter