Aug 3
Study of 626 stonemason marks reveals how Libya's Gate of Tauchira was built and dates its construction to Ptolemy VIII's reign.
The study documents at least seven lettered work teams and another 14 groups or individuals identified through monograms. Some blocks even carry two marks, showing different workshops worked on the same stone. These carvings preserved far more than names. They recorded the pace of construction, the movement of materials, the structure of the workforce, and the mix of public and private funding behind one of North Africa’s best-preserved Hellenistic gates.