The first prehistoric settlements in Eastern Morocco according to archaeological discoveries: habitats and cultures

This article discusses the stability and development of prehistoric human societies in eastern Morocco through various ancient periods, through field research that included several archaeological sites of word significance in the region.We have discovered and important archaeological remains extracted from the archaeological layers, which is considered an "archaeological document", on which we rely to identify human societies and the ancient civilizations to which they belong. The Eastern of Morocco, through these researches, is considered as one of the richest archaeological areas in Morocco, where more than 500 archaeological sites have been identified so far thanks to field investigations. In the province of Nador, the sites of Ain Beni Mathar and Guefait, the Ganfouda Cave, the Ghafas Cave in Ras Asfour in the Jerada Province, the rock art in  Figuig and Ich in the Figuig province, etc…We would like to point out that some of these archaeological sites and caves have gained international fame through research and scientific results obtained, and have previously been classified as a national heritage, such as the Tafoughalt cave, the Zegzel cave, the Kasbahs of Debdou and Saidia, and the palaces of the Figuig Oasis with its rock art, which were included in the heritage of ISESCO and on the list Guidelines for the UNESCO World Heritage. We also point out that there are other sites of archaeological and natural importance in the eastern Morocco, which deserve to be classified within the national heritage, such as Ifri n’Amar, Ghafas, Hassi Ouenzga, Genfouda, Ain Beni Mathar, Guefait,, etc...This has been tangibly confirmed through field research and the resulting archaeological document that the eastern of Morocco has always been a welcoming and stable land for many prehistoric human societies during ancient times.  

Deciphering the taphonomic history of an Upper Paleolithic faunal assemblage from Zouhrah Cave/El Harhoura 1, Morocco

Overlap in the use of caves between hominids and animals has frequently been documented in the prehistoric record. In the Maghreb, Zouhrah Cave, also called El Harhoura 1 (Témara, Morocco), has yielded a few Aterian lithic tools and an abundance of fauna. This faunal assemblage is dominated by gazelles (41% of identified remains) and many carnivore species, including remains of both spotted and striped hyena. Extensive porcupine activity is also evident. The observation of numerous coprolites, in combination with the study of ungulate mortality profiles, skeletal element representation and pattern of bone modifications, all demonstrate that the cave functioned more as a carnivore den than an anthropogenic site even during the Neolithic. Our analysis reveals that the Zouhrah Cave faunal assemblage was created by multiple agents: human, hyena and porcupine. We suggest that this may be a typical signature for Upper Pleistocene cave sites in the Mediterranean region.L’utilisation alternée des grottes par les hominidés et les carnivores est fréquemment documentée dans la littérature préhistorique. Dans le Maghreb, la grotte Zouhrah, appelée aussi El Harhoura 1 (Témara, Maroc), a livré une faible industrie lithique appartenant à l’Atérien et une faune abondante dominée par les gazelles (41 % de restes identifiés) et de nombreuses espèces de carnivores, dont l’hyène tachetée et l’hyène rayée. La présence de nombreux coprolithes et les résultats des études sur les profils de mortalité, de représentation squelettiques et des modifications osseuses, sont autant d’indices suggérant que la grotte a plus fonctionné comme un repaire de carnivores qu’un site archéologique, y compris au Néolithique. Notre analyse révèle que l’origine de l’assemblage osseux de la grotte Zouhrah est le fait de multiples agents, l’homme, l’hyène et les porcs-épics, représentant une signature typique et propre du Paléolithique supérieur méditerranéen

New studies of the lithic industry at Guenfouda and its relation to other Neolithic sites in the Oujda Mountains (Morocco)

In this paper, we present the lithic study of the Neolithic level of Guenfouda cave, localised in Jebel Metssila in the Jerada/Oujda mountains, in the Oriental Region of Morocco. This study focuses on the technology and typology of the worked lithic remains, but also on the lithic raw materials. We also analyse the other archaeological remains from this Neolithic level and we place them in a regional framework to apprehend the nature of the site

New macaque fossil remains from Morocco

Altres ajuts: CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Cataluny

New materials of the white rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum and auerochs Bos primigenius from a Late Pleistocene terrace of the Oued el Haï (NE Morocco) - two elements of the Maghrebi Palearctic fauna

Most biogeographers considered the Maghreb to be part of the Palearctic biogeographic region, though it is relatively recently that the proportion of Palearctic species increased there. How and when exactly these biogeographic changes occurred is not well understood, but they are probably the result of the increasing aridification of the Sahara and decreasing global temperatures. Fossils of Bos primigenius and Ceratotherium simum from a new fossil locality in a terrace of the Oued el Haï (NE Morocco) contribute to our understanding of some of these biogeographic processes and their timing. They also suggest an age between ~57 and ~100 ka for the terrace. The same evolutionary change in Bos in Europe and the Maghreb suggests geneflow as the most parsimonious explanation, though parallel evolution is an alternative possibility. Oued el Haï has the oldest well-documented record of C. simum in the Maghreb. The dispersal of this species to North Africa, where it replaced C. mauritanicum, may have occurred during a ‘Green Sahara Period’ between 80–85 or 100–105 ka, when the Maghreb had acquired already a Palearctic character. The study of the biogeography and requirements of the large mammals of the Maghreb may provide information to calibrate the region’s climate modelling.This research was supported / funded by: Palarq Foundation, Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport under grant numbers 42-T002018N0000042853 and 170-T002019N0000038589); Direction of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture and Communication, Morocco); Faculty of Sciences (Mohamed 1r University of Oujda, Morocco); INSAP (Institut National des Sciences de l’Archéologie et du Patrimoine); Agencia Estatal de Investigación (Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities under grant numbers CGL2016-80975-P, CGL2016-80000-P, PGC2018-095489-B-I00 and PGC2018-093925-B-C31; Synthesys (European Science Foundation) under grant numbers DE-TAF-668, GB-TAF-4119, AT-TAF-3663, DK-TAF-6538; Research Group Support of the Generalitat de Catalunya under grant numbers 2017 SGR 859 and 2017 SGR 836. The research of A.R.-H., J.A., R.S.-R. and M.G.Ch. was supported by ‘CERCA Programme/Genarlitat de Catalunya’. The Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA) was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the ‘María de Maeztu’ program for Units of Excellence under grant number CEX2019-000945-M. The research of I.A.L. was supported by the Humboldt Foundation.Peer reviewe

First small-sized Dinofelis: Evidence from the Plio-Pleistocene of North Africa

We describe small-sized specimens of the metailurine felid Dinofelis from a new Plio-Pleistocene site in North Africa. Dinofelis is a genus of saber-toothed cats mainly recorded from East and South Africa with numerous leopard to jaguar-sized species. The described specimens, clearly smaller than all the other African Dinofelis, resemble isolated remains from the Late Pliocene of France and the Early Pleistocene of Africa. Present evidence suggests that our form represents a new species and/or new lineage of Dinofelis, smaller and probably occupying a different ecological niche compared to the previously known members of the genus, and thus it adds complexity to the high intraspecific competition among large carnivorans in the Plio-Pleistocene of Africa.This work has been funded by Palarq Foundation, Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport (Ref: 42-T002018N0000042853 and 170- T002019N0000038589), Direction of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture and Communication, Morocco), Faculty of Sciences (Mohamed 1r University of Oujda,Morocco), INSAP (Institut National des Sciences de l'Archeologie et du Patrimoine), Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Ref: CGL2016-80975-P, CGL2016-80000-P, PGC2018-095489-B-I00 and PGC2018-093925-B-C31), Agencia Estatal de Investigacion e European Regional Development Fund of the European Union (CGL2017-82654-P, AEI/FEDER-UE), the Generalitat de Catalunya (CERCA Program) which is financed by European Community Research Infrastructure Action under the FP7 “Capacities” Program and Research Groups Support (2017 SGR 836 and 2017SGR 859). R.S-R, M.G.CH., and P.S. research is funded by CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. J.M.-M. is member of consolidated research group 2017 SGR 116 (AGAUR, Generalitat de Catalunya). A.R.-H. is the beneficiary of a postdoctoral scholar ship from the MICINN, Subprograma Juan de la Cierva (IJC-037447-I) and member of the Consolidated Research Group 2017 SGR 1040 of the Generalitat de Catalunya. A.M.A and M.F. are beneficiaries of a fellowship from the Erasmus Mundus Program to do the Master in Quaternary and Prehistory at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Tarragona, Spain). The Institut Catala de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolucio Social (IPHES-CERCA) has received financial support fromthe Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the ‘María de Maeztu’ program for Units of Excellence (CEX2019-000945-M).With funding from the Spanish government through the "Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence" accreditation (CEX2019-000945-M).Peer reviewe

First magnetostratigraphic results in the Aïn Beni Mathar-Guefaït Basin, Northern High Plateaus (Morocco): The Pliocene-Pleistocene Dhar Iroumyane composite section

The Aïn Beni Mathar-Guefaït Basin, in the High Plateau Region (Morocco), is dissected by the Za River, the main eastern tributary of the Moulouya, which incises more than 150 m into Plio-Pleistocene sediments. The main goal of the present study is to provide an initial geochronologic framework for such basin infill based on a combination of magnetostratigraphy and electron spin resonance (ESR). The combined results have implications on the age of the paleontological record, the evolution of the Moulouya River, and the activity of the faults that delimit the basin. We have studied sedimentary rocks that are essentially flat-lying and of an alluvial and lacustrine/palustrine origin. An approximately 140 m-thick section has been sampled at an average of 2.5 m per site, allowing to build a local magnetic polarity stratigraphy that includes nine geomagnetic reversals. Although no fold test is available, the presence of dual polarities and rockmagnetic analysis give us confidence that magnetization directions are primary. We then anchored the obtained magnetozones to the Geomagnetic Polarity Timescale (GPTS) using the biostratigraphic data as well as local geological observations. Our proposed magnetostratigraphy-based chronology reveals a Plio-Pleistocene sedimentary infill spanning from Gauss to Olduvai Chrons. The lower, detrital formations mostly fall within the normal Gauss Chron, whereas the upper lacustrine and palustrine carbonates, which are almost widespread to the top of the sedimentary fill, are Olduvai in age. These results provide the first chronological constraints for the basin fill in one of the largest intermontane basins of the High Plateaus. The new magnetostratigraphy also reveals that the major environmental change that triggered a switch from alluvial to lacustrine-palustrine conditions in Northern Maghreb occurred near the Gauss-Matuyama reversal, ca. 2.6 Ma. In addition, it shows that the age of the paleontological site Guefaït-4 is approximately 1 myr older than the ESR ages obtained from the quartz grains. The possible sources for this underestimation are discussed. However, we also acknowledge and discuss other possible chronostratigraphic interpretations of the current data, although less likely.his work has been funded by Palarq Foundation, Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport (42-T002018N0000042853 and 170-T002019N0000038589), Direction of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture and Communication, Morocco), Faculty of Sciences (Mohamed 1er University, Oujda, Morocco)Peer reviewe

Multiproxy approach to reconstruct fossil primate feeding behavior: Case study for macaque from the Plio-Pleistocene site Guefaït-4.2 (eastern Morocco)

The genus Macaca belongs to Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys), Cercopithecinae, Papionini. The presence of Macaca in North Africa is well known from the Late Miocene to the Late Pleistocene. However, the diet of fossil Macaca has been poorly described in the literature. In this study, we investigated the feeding habits of Macaca cf. sylvanus (n = 4) from the Plio-Pleistocene site Guefaït-4.2 in eastern Morocco through multiproxy analysis combining analyses of stable carbon and oxygen isotopes from tooth enamel, buccal microtexture, and low-magnification occlusal dental microwear. For both microwear analyses, we compared the macaques with a new reference collection of extant members of Cercopithecoidea. Our occlusal microwear results show for the fossil macaque a pattern similar to the extant Cercocebus atys and Lophocebus albigena, African forest-dwelling species that are characterized by a durophagous diet based mainly on hard fruit and seed intake. Buccal microtexture results also suggest the consumption of some grasses and the exploitation of more open habitats, similar to that observed in Theropithecus gelada. The δ13C of M. cf. sylvanus indicates a C3 based-diet without the presence of C4 plants typical of the savanna grassland in eastern Africa during this period. The high δ18O values of M. cf. sylvanus, compared with the contemporary ungulates recovered from Guefaït-4.2, could be associated with the consumption of a different resource by the primate such as leaves or fresh fruits from the upper part of trees. The complementarity of these methods allows for a dietary reconstruction covering a large part of the individual’s life.This work has been funded by Palarq Foundation, Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport (Ref: 42-T002018N0000042853 and 170-T002019N0000038589), Direction of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture and Communication, Morocco), Faculty of Sciences (Mohamed 1r University of Oujda, Morocco), INSAP (Institut National des Sciences de l’Archéologie et du Patrimoine), Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Ref: CGL2016-80975-P, CGL2016-80000-P, PGC2018-095489-B-I00, and PID2021- 122355NB-C33), Research Groups Support of the Generalitat de Catalunya (2017 SGR 836, 2017 SGR 1040, 2017 SGR 102, and 2017 SGR 859) and PDC2021-121613-I00 and PID2020-112963GB-I00 by ERDF A way of making Europe, by the European Union. RS-R, MC, AR-H, and CT research was funded by CERCA Programme Generalitat de Catalunya. IR-P is beneficiary of predoctoral fellowship (2020-FI-B-00731) funded by AGAUR and the Fons Social Europeu (FSE). AA and is beneficiary of a fellowship from the Erasmus Mundus Program to do the Master in Quaternary and Prehistory at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Tarragona, Spain). CT was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the “Ramón y Cajal” program (RYC2020-029404-I). The Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA) has received financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the “María de Maeztu” program for Units of Excellence (CEX2019-000945-M), including the postdoctoral fellowships of AR-H.With funding from the Spanish government through the "Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence" accreditation CEX2019-000945-M.Peer reviewe

Le peuplement humain pendant le Pléistocène et l’Holocène dans la province de Jerada, Maroc oriental : introduction d’un projet de recherche

[EN] The Aïn Beni Mathar – Guefaït (ABM-GFT) region in Eastern Morocco is the object of an archaeological, palaeontological, geological and geochronological research project, led by an international team since 2006. The research in this former fluvio-lacustrine basin, roughly 2000 km2, has revealed a significant number of Pleistocene and Holocene sites. Here we introduce the research project, that we conduct in the region, the main issues it aims to address, and the results already obtained.[FR] Depuis 2006, la région de Aïn Beni Mathar – Guefaït (ABM-GFT) au Maroc Oriental, fait l’objet d’un projet de recherche en archéologie, paléontologie, géologie et géochronologie, mené par une équipe internationale. Ces recherches ont permis la découverte d’un nombre significatif de gisements d’âge Pléistocène et Holocène, dans un ancien bassin fluvio-lacustre, qui s’étend sur une surface de 2000 km2. Notre objectif ici est de présenter le projet de recherche, que nous entamons dans la région, la problématique qu’il traite et les premiers résultats déjà obtenus.Funding for this research was provided by: Palarq Foundation, Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport (Ref: 42-T002018N0000042853 & 170-T002019N0000038589), Direction of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture and Communication, Morocco), Faculty of Sciences (Mohamed 1r University of Oujda, Morocco), INSAP (Institut National des Sciences de l’Archéologie et du Patrimoine), Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Ref: CGL2016-80975-P, CGL2016-80000-P, PGC2018-095489-B-I00 and PGC2018-093925-B-C31) and Research Groups Support of the Catalonia Government (2017 SGR 836 and 2017 SGR 859). R.S-R, M.G.CH., J.I.M., A.C., F.R., A.R.-H., E.A., I.E., F.B., J.A., HA.B., P.S., P.P., D.L., I.R. y E.M. research is funded by CERCA Programme/ Generalitat de Catalunya. J.I.M. and A.R.-H research is funded by the Spanish Minitry of Science and Innovation under the “María de Maeztu” Program for Unities of Excellence (CEX2019-000945-M). M.S. has been granted by the Research Program UAM Tomás y Valiente 2019. C.T. is funded by the Ramón y Cajal Program. M.F. and M.E.A. received a fellowship under the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship of the European Education and Culture Executive Agency in the Master in Quaternary and Prehistory at URV. The research of M.D. is funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship Grant FT150100215 and the Ramón y Cajal Program (RYC2018-025221-I). P.P. has been granted a post-doctoral post under the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation “Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación” Program (Ref. IJC2020-044108-I). E.M-R. is beneficiary of a PTA Ref. PTA201714619-I. G.G.-A. has been granted a “Ford - Apadrina la Ciencia” contract. C.D.-C has been granted a Fundación Atapuerca fellowship. A.C.A. was funded by Junta de Castilla y León (project BU235P18) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The Institut Catalá de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA) has received financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the ‘María de Maeztu’ program for Units of Excellence (CEX2019-000945-M).Peer reviewe