COSTRUIRE LO SPAZIO: LA PERTICA CARTHAGINIENSIUM TRA CENTURIAZIONE, CONFINI E TRASFORMAZIONI TERRITORIALI (II SEC. A.C. – III SEC. D.C.)

This paper examines the evolution of the pertica Carthaginiensium from the destruction of Carthage in 146 BCE to its dissolution in the Severan period, reconstructing its main phases of formation, expansion, and transformation. From the Gracchan foundation onward, the Carthaginian territory appears as a complex and stratified space shaped by the interaction between centuriation, land distributions, and the persistence of local communities. Within this framework, particular attention is devoted to the Etruscan boundary stones from the oued Miliane, interpreted here as possible evidence of a phase of reoccupation and reorganization of the territory following the Sullan proscriptions, which may have triggered migrations of Italic groups to Africa. Special emphasis is placed on the role of the Fossa Regia, interpreted not merely as a linear boundary but as a long-lasting and dynamic territorial structure, which continued to influence land organization even after losing its original administrative function. The Caesarian and Augustan reorganizations led to the expansion of the pertica and its integration into the provincial system of Africa Proconsularis, while in the High Empire processes of land concentration and new forms of estate management developed, as documented by the large agrarian inscriptions from the regio Thuggensis. The gradual emergence of local autonomies, together with municipal and colonial promotions in the Severan period, ultimately led to the disintegration of the pertica as a unified territorial entity. The study thus highlights a dynamic model of Roman territorial organization based on long-term processes of adaptation, integration, and transformation.