Archaeoastronomy and Ancient Technologies 2018, 6(2), 44-52
DOI: 10.24411/2310-2144-2018-00007
Rock art and archaeoastronomy in Morocco: preliminary observations
Abderrahmane Ibhi 1,2*, Fouad Khiri 1,2, Lahcen Ouknine 1,2, Abdelkhalek Lemjidi 3,4, El Mahfoud Asmahri5
Petrology, Metallogeny and Meteorite Team, Ibn Zohr University - Agadir, Morocco; E-Mails: a.ibhi@uiz.ac.ma1
University Museum of Meteorites, Ibn Zohr University - Agadir, Morocco; E-Mails: mum@uiz.ac.ma2
National Center of the Rupestral Heritage - Agadir, Morocco; E-Mails: idijmel@yagoo.fr3
National Institute of Archaeological and Heritage Sciences - Rabat, Morocco; E-Mails: idijmel@yagoo.fr4
Centre of History and Ecology at the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture of Morocco - Rabat, Morocco; E-Mails: easmahri@gmail.com5
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to make public the exceptional discovery in the province of Essaouira (Morocco) of three petroglyphs engraved with an original subject in Moroccan rock art. By incision, astronomical, anthropomorphic, zoomorphic figures with Tifinagh inscriptions are engraved. The distribution and the nature of the engraved subjects evoke, most probably, a testimony with a material document on a natural disaster caused most likely by the fall of a great meteorite contributing, thus; to the understanding of the Ancient History of natural disasters in Morocco.
Keywords: Petroglyphs, Meteor, Bolide, Archaeoastronomy, Tifinagh inscriptions, Morocco.
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