Aghmat – 2017

Presentation

The thirteenth excavation campaign of the Aghmat Archaeological Mission (MAA) took place from September 11 to 29, 2017, followed by an inventory mission from October 1 to 6, 2017. This year, excavation work focused on two distinct sites: first, the continuation of the study of the hammam’s hypocast, which began during the 2016 season; and second, the execution of exploratory soundings in a new sector—the parking lot of the Jemaa Ghmat souk—where the Moroccan state plans to develop a public structure for the management and conservation of the Aghmat archaeological site.

The Hammam Sector

In the hammam sector, excavations were successfully completed, uncovering and clarifying the hypocaust system located beneath the floor of the hot room (caldarium). By studying the different construction phases of this space, the team was able to further refine the chronology of the site’s history. Excavation was halted at the level of the circulation paths contemporary with the final firing of the heating structure, pending restoration work scheduled for the winter of 2017-2018. Subsequently, deep soundings will be conducted within the hot room area to evaluate older stratigraphic levels corresponding to the initial establishment of the hammam.

The Souk Sector

In the souk parking sector, excavation work was motivated by the need to establish an archaeological diagnosis before the area is impacted by the construction of a conservation building mandated by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage. The plot of approximately 1,000 m² selected by the authorities lies within the archaeological reserve, about 100 m south of the Great Mosque—placing it at the very heart of the medieval city of Aghmat. While there was little doubt that the two 15 m² soundings would reveal a high archaeological density, the primary questions concerned the depth and nature of the remains. These two diagnostic windows revealed a very dense residential sector occupied by large elite residences with interior gardens (riad type), abandoned around the 14th century. Several deep soundings assessed the stratigraphic depth at between 2.5 and 3.5 m depending on the area, confirming the existence of archaeological levels dating back at least to the 11th century. This discovery is particularly exceptional as it marks the first time the MAA—whose work had previously focused on the political power center (palace, hammam, mosque)—has documented domestic sectors, which have already yielded artifacts that were largely unknown until now.

Microtopographic Survey of the Prayer Hall

A final project was undertaken during the 2017 mission: a microtopographic survey of the Great Mosque’s prayer hall. The major challenge of this undertaking was to reveal the plan of the ancient ruined mosque, which was leveled and entirely buried by the construction of the mosque currently visible (partially excavated between 2010 and 2013 and dated to around the 12th century). Its main architectural structures (pillar and wall bases) were perceptible on the surface due to differential settling of the lime floor of the later mosque. The precise mapping of these micro-reliefs will provide decisive information for understanding the earlier mosque without resorting to excavation, thus preserving the remains of the medieval mosque on the surface.

Campaigns

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  Aghmat – 2015
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  Aghmat – 2018
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  Aghmat – 2016
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  Aghmat – 2017