Here, on the west side of Djebel Debagh, is an immense necropolis of megalithic tombs, generally of the same type, rough stones placed in an upright position, enclosing the actual grave, and covered with a large flat slab. We excavated a number, and found them to contain human remains and cups of pottery. Not far off are 300 or 400 caves, some quite natural, others excavated by the hand of man, which have evidently served as residences for the living as well as tombs for the dead. A few fragments of a bronze bracelet were found in one and a bronze ring in another. In the present state of Algerian archæology it is impossible to fix with any precision the age of these dolmens. Notwithstanding the interesting memoirs and researches of General Faidherbe, MM. Bourguignat, Berbrugger, Féraud, Bertherand and Bourjot, we have insufficient data for coming to any definite conclusion; one thing is certain, that if they were commenced in prehistoric times they were continued down to a late period of the Roman occupation. M. Ph. Thomas found in one of the dolmens of Sigus a vase unmistakably of Roman origin, containing a quantity of black mould, amongst which was a coin of Domitian; his bust was crowned and surrounded by a long Latin inscription, recording his titles of Augustus and Germanicus, and his elevation for the fourteenth time to the consular dignity. M. Letourneux is also said to have found in the Aures Mountains megalithic monuments, some of the stones of which were evidently the remains of Roman edifices.
On the 16th April we started for Djebel Thaya, which is about sixteen miles distant. Shortly after leaving the baths, the road crosses the Bou Hamdan, and passes amongst the hills to the left of that river, following a north-westerly direction. Many beautiful views are obtained, especially that from the crest of a spur of Thaya; on the right is a sterile hill called El-Gharar, on the left the lofty and fertile mountain of the Beni Ibrahim, on the top of which is a conspicuous conical rock called Hadjar eth-Theldj, or stone of ice. At last, after a short descent, we crossed the Oued El-Khoorshif, and came in sight of the entrance to the cave, high up in the face of a mass of rock rising abruptly to our left.
We found that three tents had been pitched for our accommodation, and that the Sheikh of the district, Tahar ben el-Fitisi, with a number of Arabs, was waiting to receive us. It was too late to do anything that night, so we contented ourselves with examining the entrance and walking about the neighbourhood, which was most picturesque. The cold was intense, and, though we piled all available garments upon our beds, we seemed to get no warmer. It did not occur to us till afterwards that, as we used canteen beds, which consist only of a single sheet of canvas, stretched on poles, we should have put some of our wraps below us; one side of our bodies was protected by a thick layer of covering, the other had no protection whatever, save the canvas.
Early next morning we commenced our exploration; our party consisted of three ladies and two gentlemen. I dare not venture to describe the costume adopted by the former; it was thoroughly well adapted for the purpose, but, to say the least, it was unusual. M. Daly and I put on some old rags, which we intended to throw away afterwards. All of us had Spanish rope espadrillas instead of shoes, and miners’ lamps in our hands. We had a large number of Arab guides to attend us, each of whom carried a lighted candle in his hand, and an abundant reserve in case of need.
The opening of the cave is on the north-west side of the mountain, which is composed of a compact limestone. The entrance-passage is spacious, being in no place less than ten feet in height; the exterior portion opens out like a hall, well lighted, dry, and adorned with beautiful tufts of ivy-leaved and other ferns. On the sides are carved numerous Roman inscriptions, so much effaced by time as to be hardly legible. M. Bourguignat, who was one of the first to explore this cave, has published an elaborate, but rather fanciful description of it.[20] He counted fifty-three inscriptions on the left, eight on the right, and three on the roof. Nearly all begin with the letters B.A.S.; one, better preserved than the others, has the words BACICI. AVG. SAC., from which it is inferred that this cavern is dedicated to the god Bacax; it is further gathered from the inscriptions, that every year the magistrates of Tibilis (Announa) came, with much ceremony, on a pilgrimage to Thaya, to offer a sacrifice to the god of the cavern. The inscriptions contain the names of consuls who were elected under the Emperors Caracalla and Geta, A.D. 211, and from this date they are mentioned up to A.D. 268. The following is one of them:—
BACCACI . AVG. SAC.
GENTIANO . ET . BASS
O. COS. VII. Id. MAIAs
C. IVLIVS . FRONTO
NIANVS . ET . Modes