page_title: Limes (Roman Empire)
section_title: Fossatum Africae
hierarchical_section_title: Limes (Roman Empire) / Southern borders / Fossatum Africae
context_page_description: Limes is a modern term used primarily for the Germanic border defence or delimiting system of Ancient Rome marking the Borders of the Roman Empire, but it was not used by the Romans for this purpose. The term has been extended to refer to the frontier defences in other parts of the empire, such as in the east and in Africa.
  The Limes is often associated with Roman forts, but the concept could apply to any adjoining area the Romans exercised loose control with military forces.
context_section_description: Fossatum Africae ("African ditch") is a linear defensive structure (limes) that extended over 750 km or more in northern Africa constructed during the Roman Empire to defend and control the southern borders of the Empire in the Roman province of Africa. It is considered to have many similarities of construction to Hadrian's Wall at the northern border of the Empire in Britain.
  Generally the Fossatum consists of a ditch and earth embankments on either side using the material from the ditch. Sometimes the embankments are supplemented by dry stone walls on one or both sides; rarely, there are stone walls without a ditch. The width of the Fossatum is generally 3–6 m but in exceptional cases may be as much as 20 m. Wherever possible, it or its highest wall is constructed on the counterscarp.
  Excavations near Gemellae showed the depth there to be 2–3 m, with a width of 1 m at the bottom widening to 2–3 m at the top.
  The Fossatum is accompanied by many small watchtowers and numerous forts, often built within sight of one another.
caption: Black lines indicating the approximate path of the 4 sections of the Fossatum Africae
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