Historic pigment drawings present in Assa Zag make clear Morocco’s previous

Researchers from Ibn Zohr University in Agadir have introduced a significant archaeological discovery within the Assa Zag province, Moroccan Sahara the place they’ve uncovered and scientifically documented the first-ever website of pigment drawings from the “Libyan-Amazigh” settlement interval, courting again to prehistoric instances.

The analysis workforce described the invention of the primary pigment drawing website as a “qualitative breakthrough in studying cultural heritage and archaeological remains in the Moroccan Sahara, given the rarity of such material vestiges left by human groups that settled in the Moroccan Sahara, opening new horizons for understanding the region’s history and civilizational role.”

The report additional clarified that Moroccan researchers specializing in rock artwork from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Ibn Zohr University in Agadir discovered “a collection of pigment drawings executed with natural pigments on the walls of remote rocky shelters in the Assa Zag territory.”

The identical supply continued, “Preliminary studies indicate that these drawings date back to prehistory and are believed to carry cultural and social significance, reflecting an aspect of ancient human settlement in this region.”

It added, “Pre-Islamic funeral tombs were also inventoried near the site, containing various types of graves, particularly the so-called crescent-shaped graves some of which exceed two hundred meters in length.”

The report famous that it’s “the first pigment rock art site discovered in the province and the 5th of its kind in the entire Moroccan Sahara.  It follows the sites of Wadi Azguer and Tasmimte in Tan-Tan province, as well as Ksat and Farsia in Smara province. As such, it represents a fundamental addition to the national archaeological heritage.”

“These pigment drawings are especially important because they deepen our understanding of the artistic diversity of ancient societies. They also open the door to more detailed studies of how humans engaged with their natural surroundings.”

Abdelhadi Fekk, an archaeology researcher at Ibn Zohr University, advised Hespress AR that “Morocco occupies a key position on the northwestern edge of the Sahara Desert, serving as a crossroads between the Mediterranean and Saharan worlds. This makes the country rich in remnants of human groups that have settled and migrated here for hundreds of thousands of years.”

He defined that they discovered rock engravings, which depict figures like animals in addition to extraordinarily uncommon pigment drawings. These are created with pure pigments, generally blended with mineral substances or natural supplies like blood, making them extra susceptible to fading on account of local weather circumstances.”

Fekk additionally talked about that “there are two such sites in Tan-Tan, two in the Smara province, and this new discovery in Assa-Zag marks the fifth pigment drawings site in the Moroccan Sahara.”

“These paintings offer an opportunity for absolute dating using modern techniques, providing valuable insights into history. This type of archaeological element sheds light on various cultural, social, and religious aspects, helping to deepen our understanding of the historical knowledge of the human groups that once inhabited this part of Morocco,” he defined.

This discovery, added the researcher, additionally has sturdy tourism potential, particularly for cultural tourism, drawing guests fascinated by uncommon prehistoric pigment drawings. It deepens our understanding of historic inventive expression, human interplay with the setting, and previous climates.

They additionally reveal the existence of now-extinct species, comparable to elephants and hippos, which as soon as thrived in these areas, suggesting that these areas have been a lot wetter prior to now, not like the arid deserts they’re at the moment.

“This discovery advances the study of the Libyan-Amazigh period and has been part of ongoing research since 2011,” he argued.

For context, it was carried out by a workforce of researchers, each professors, and college students, from Ibn Zohr University, beneath the “Morocco in Africa: History, Memory, and International Environment lab,” in collaboration with the Regional Heritage Conservation in Guelmim-Oued Noun, the National Park for Rock Engravings in Agadir, and the Assa Association for Culture and Heritage Preservation.