Les Ports Puniques En Méditerranée.

The naval bases of Carthage and their infrastructures deserve a more thorough approach, if we become aware of the importance of the Punic territory between the IVth and the IInd century BC. Indeed, Carthage depended several bases on the north and northeast coasts of Africa, western and southwest of Sicily, the South of Sardinia and southeast of Spain. The questions which settled about the ports of Carthage also settle as regards the similar port facilities, in particular those of Leptis and Iol. Carthage had also built ports on the north coast of the western Mediterranean Sea. These bases played a very important role for the protection of the mines of silver and tin. The number of ports in the western pond of the Mediterranean Sea was more raised than the number of ports in the oriental pond, because of the more favorable natural and economic conditions. Even if the recent excavations allow to know better these ports, it remains difficult to distinguish in a safe way between the Punic vestiges and the Roman vestiges.