Beyond Romulus: African Engineering Knowledge in Roman Imperial Construction

This paper examines archaeological, textual, and comparative evidence demonstrating that Roman engineering achievements emerged through the synthesis of multiple Mediterranean and provincial knowledge traditions, including significant contributions from African civilisations. Through analysis of hydraulic engineering, architectural techniques, and construction practices, alongside documentary and material evidence of African craftsmen in Roman contexts, I argue that dominant foundation myths such as that of Romulus and Remus obscure a material reality. Roman imperial infrastructure did not arise through isolated indigenous innovation but through the systematic incorporation of expertise developed earlier in Egypt, Nubia, and North Africa. The persistent minimisation of African contributions has shaped both classical scholarship and contemporary misconceptions about African roles in the history of technology. Analytically, the paper aligns with work in the historical sociology of technology and comparative development that treats engineering systems as products of specific social and imperial relations rather than as expressions of isolated 'civilisational genius'. By foregrounding labour, knowledge transfer and the politics of attribution, it speaks to broader social science debates about how empires organise expertise and how subsequent historiographies naturalise unequal contributions. Keywords: Roman engineering; history of technology; historical sociology; knowledge transfer; African studies; empire and infrastructure; comparative development