The site is one of the most extensive in the country, and much of it remains to be archaeologically explored in 2020, a situation comparable to that of Bulla Regia.

[2] The Neo-Punic period saw a definite development: stelae from the 1st century found at Bab El Aïn testify to the presence of a tophet; the main deity at that time was Baal Hammon.

[2] Some families became Roman citizens under Emperor Trajan, and some attained equestrian rank as early as the reign of Commodus.

[1] Promoted as a colony under the name of Colonia Aelia Aurelia Mactaris between 176 and 180, the city benefited from the Roman peace from the end of the 1st century and enjoyed a certain prosperity.

[6] According to Gilbert Charles-Picard,[7] this ascent testifies to the "municipal decentralization that contributes to fighting against the concentration of political power and wealth."

Comprising large slabs, the ensemble includes a space dedicated to worshipping the deceased during ashes-laying ceremonies.

[10] Excavations of an intact burial chamber, conducted by Mansour Ghaki, unearthed a large number of ceramics of various origins, both local and imported.

[10] On 17 January 2012, the Tunisian government nominated the complex for inclusion on UNESCO's World Heritage List as part of the royal mausoleums of Numidia, Mauritania, and pre-Islamic funerary monuments.

Archaeologists have also discovered a Numidian-era public square that likely served as the town's religious center due to the presence of temples.

It was excavated by Gilbert Charles-Picard and interpreted as the meeting place of the city's juvenile college due to an inscription.

The second category comprises juvenile colleges, consisting of young men who perform public order functions in the city, such as night patrols.

However, their primary function is to provide a social setting for the urban elite, although rural dwellers and the less wealthy could also join.

[12] The single-bay triumphal arch, built in honor of Emperor Trajan in 116, has been preserved and integrated into the Byzantine-era fortifications, with an adjoining tower.

The walls of these baths are preserved to a height of over twelve meters and feature a beautiful mosaic adorned with a labyrinth.

[19] Yvon Thébert, however, considers that the palaestras were integrated into the construction with a symmetrical plan, the total area of which is approximately 4,400 m2, with 225 m2 for the sole frigidarium[18] from the Severan period, which occupies the center of the complex with the adjoining natatio pool and flanked by two apodyteria.

[20] In the 4th or early 5th century, the facilities are reduced:[18] the complex is transformed into a fortress in the Byzantine period and equipped with a large masonry wall.

[22] The Capitol site has been poorly preserved, but excavations have revealed a dedication linking the emperor to the Jupiter-Junon-Minerve triad.

The epitaph of the 'Harvester of Mactar'[25] is a significant document that sheds light on the economic life of the countryside and the process of renewing municipal elites in the 2nd century.

Gilbert Charles-Picard used it to illustrate the interconnectedness of rural and urban societies, considering the city's small size.

[28] The lion sculpture, a limestone piece dating back to the 1st century and belonging to the Numido-Punic tradition,[29] was unearthed in 1952 in the northeastern necropolis of the city.