31 March 2023 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists find a Roman military watchtower in Morocco for the first time

A Roman military watchtower the first of its kind was discovered by a team of Polish and Moroccan archaeologists in the ancient city of Volubilis, northern Morocco.

The tower was discovered at the site of El Mellali near the ancient city of Volubilis, on the ancient Roman province’s southern border. Until this discovery, it was unclear whether towers of this kind existed in this area.

The foundations and walls up to 80 cm (2’8′′) high, as well as a section of an internal staircase and some of the cobblestone pavers around the structure, are still standing. The team also discovered pilia (Roman spearhead) fragments, nails from caligae (military hobnailed sandals), and Roman military belt fittings. Roman observation towers have previously been discovered in Scotland, Germany, and Romania, but this is the first one discovered in Morocco.

Morocco was a part of the Roman Empire beginning in the fifth century CE, but due to its geographical isolation, little is known about this region and archaeologists treat it as a niche.

Excavation work at the eastern wall of the observation tower. Photo: Maciej Czapski

‘Based on satellite images, we have selected several sites that have a common feature: an oval plan with an inscribed rectangle or square. We have chosen this particular site because it is located farthest to the south. There are a few brief descriptions of this site in French publications indicating that the place could have been associated with the Roman army’, says Maciej Czapski, an archaeologist from the University of Warsaw.

The researcher also mentions that spending numerous hours in libraries in London and Rimini helped with the preparations for the excavation work. He was cautious, though, noting that the time spent reading previously published materials and analyzing satellite images did not ensure success.

“We were lucky to have started digging in the right place. Just a 500-600 m shift of the starting point would have resulted in finding nothing. Our discovery is a significant contribution to the general state of research on the Roman limes – the system of Roman border fortifications, erected on the outskirts of the empire, especially vulnerable to raids’, says Czapski.

The main focus of the Polish-Moroccan team is determining how the Romans maintained the acquired territories and what were their contacts with the local population.

Volubilis ancient city. Photo: Wikipedia

The watchtower has yet to be definitively dated. Archaeologists believe Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius’ predecessor who ruled from 138 to 161 A.D., may have built and maintained defenses at the location between the first and third centuries A.D. At this time, epigraphic evidence points to increasingly tense relations between the Berber population and the Roman administration, bad blood that would boil over during Marcus Aurelius’ reign.

Volubilis was founded in the third century B.C. by Carthaginian colonists at the foot of Zerhoun mountain. It was part of the kingdom of Mauretania (at one point the capital), which was ruled by a dynasty of Berber kings who were allies of Carthage. Volubilis was annexed by Rome along with the other North African colonies following the fall of Carthage at the end of the Third Punic War in 146 B.C.

Under Roman rule, the city thrived by exporting agricultural products like grains and olive oil as well as providing wild animals for gladiatorial fights. However, it was on the outskirts of the empire’s borders, and tensions with the Berber tribes around the Romanized city grew so quickly that Marcus Aurelius (r. 161-180 A.D.) had a massive circuit of defensive walls built around it. Around 280 A.D., amid the political and military turbulence of the Third Century Crisis, Roman rule finally came to an end. In the late fourth century, an earthquake caused Volubilis itself to collapse.

PAP

Cover Photo: El Mellali site with visible remains of the tower. Photo: Karol Bartczak

Banner
Related Post

Maya Farmers May Have Planned Population Growth Contrary to Thought

19 November 2021

19 November 2021

Contrary to what was thought, Maya farmers may have planned for population growth, says a new study. According to a...

Study Reveals Mysterious Avars Origin

1 April 2022

1 April 2022

Ruled much of Central and Eastern Europe for 250 years, the Avars were less well known than Attila’s Huns, but...

Ancient helmets, temple ruins found at a dig in Velia southern Italy

1 February 2022

1 February 2022

A discovery that “sheds new light on the history of the mighty Greek colony” by Velia. Archaeologists in southern Italy...

Archaeologists may have found the Sanctuary of Samian Poseidon described in ancient texts

11 October 2022

11 October 2022

During excavations in the foothills at the ancient acropolis of Samicum in Greece, archaeologists may have found the sanctuary of...

4,000-year-old War Memorial of Banat-Bazi in Syria

28 May 2021

28 May 2021

Archaeologists have identified a memorial monument built before 2300 BC in the Banat-Bazi region in Syria. Known as the “White...

A new temple was discovered in the ancient Thracian city of Perperikon

17 August 2022

17 August 2022

Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) reports that archaeologists have discovered a new temple at Perperikon. Perperikon, an archaeological complex located at...

Al-Aqiser Church, Disappears in the Depths of The Iraqi Desert

10 May 2021

10 May 2021

In a country that has been devastated by successive conflicts and economic crises, Al-Aqiser, like the numerous Christian, Islamic and...

Artifacts for sale offered at a Dutch auction house returned to Peru

9 July 2021

9 July 2021

The Dutch government announced in a press release today that the artifacts that were put up for sale at an...

Samen Underground City Getting Prepared for Public Visits

6 June 2021

6 June 2021

Samen Underground City is a unique structure in Iran and the extent of such a structure has not been observed...

A Second temple of the Second Temple period was discovered at Migdal

13 December 2021

13 December 2021

The University of Haifa reported on Sunday the discovery of a 2,000-year-old synagogue from the Second Temple era in Migdal,...

9 Relics of Neanderthal Found in The Guattari Cave

8 May 2021

8 May 2021

Archaeologists in Italy have discovered the remains of nine Neanderthals who were reportedly killed and mauled by hyenas in their...

Archaeological excavations started again after 50 years in Tunceli Tozkoparan mound

28 June 2021

28 June 2021

Archaeological excavations at the Tozkoparan Mound in Turkey’s Tunceli province are anticipated to turn the city into one of eastern...

2000-year-old quarry discovered in Jerusalem that could be the source of Second temple stones

5 September 2021

5 September 2021

Archaeologists have discovered a 2,000-year-old quarry in Har Hotzvim, now an industrial park in Jerusalem. The Israel Antiquities Authority said...

Ancient Hebrew “Incantation Bowls” discovered in a home in Israel

8 March 2022

8 March 2022

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said Monday that 1,500-year-old magical “incantation bowls” and other rare and ornate bone and ivory...

Analysis Of Roman Coins sheds light on the Roman financial crisis

17 April 2022

17 April 2022

New scientific analysis of the composition of Roman denarii has brought fresh understanding to a financial crisis briefly mentioned by...

Comments
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *