Gezicht op Romeinse ruïnes van een markt in Timgad before 1894

This photogravure shows the Roman ruins of a market in Timgad. It was made by an anonymous artist, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century, as part of a publishing project to document Roman ruins in North Africa. The image creates meaning through visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. Timgad was a Roman colonial city founded by Emperor Trajan around 100 AD in present-day Algeria. As a former French colony, the archaeological site was a subject of French interest at the time. This image creates a narrative of French power as a new imperial presence, but also connects French culture to the glory of the Roman Empire. To understand the image better, we might research the history of archaeology in French Algeria, considering how this discipline gave the French access to land and political power. By understanding the cultural and institutional context of this image, we can more clearly see its role in constructing ideas about empire.