This book investigates the complex transition from pagan religious traditions to Christianity in North Africa, specifically examining whether the physical dismantling of pagan urban infrastructure was driven by ideological conflict or economic necessity. Anna Leone, an expert in late antique archaeology, utilizes extensive material evidence from modern-day Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya to analyze the transformation of urban landscapes between the 4th and 6th centuries AD. By focusing on the reuse and recycling of pagan monuments, the author provides a framework for understanding how religious shifts manifested in the built environment of the late Roman world.

Scholars and historians of late antiquity frequently cite this work for its rigorous archaeological methodology and its nuanced approach to the intersection of religion and urban economy. The text is considered a foundational resource for those studying the material transformation of the Roman world during its transition into the early medieval period.