Direction
Abdallah Fili (Université d’El Jadida)
Ronald Messier (Middle State University/Vanderbilt University)
Chloé Capel (CNRS, UMR 7041, Arscan)
How Eveha Participates
Topography
Location
Morocco
Presentation of the 2016 Campaign
The twelfth field campaign of the Aghmat Archaeological Mission (MAA) took place from September 19 to October 9, 2016, with the support of Eveha International. Following the emergency excavations conducted between 2014 and 2015 on the qubba monument (the ablution fountain of the medieval mosque)—which was discovered by chance in September 2014 during roadwork along the edges of the Aghmat archaeological reserve—the 2016 campaign was primarily dedicated to conservation work on this structure. The goal was to protect the building, now exposed to the elements in the middle of one of the main streets of Jemaa Ghmat village, and to fully integrate it into the site’s development project.
Although the qubba monument itself was little affected by natural or human-induced degradation, it was left in an unstable position following a particularly rainy 2015-2016 winter season due to the erosion of the surrounding soil. Consequently, the bulk of the mission’s resources and budget was allocated to the (temporary) repair and rerouting of the public roadway surrounding the monument. This was done to restore access for local residents and to decouple the road from the archaeological structure. After conducting an exploratory sounding to measure the stratigraphic depth of the sector and evaluate the archaeological levels predating the qubba, the roadway was restored through general backfilling, supported by temporary wooden retaining structures to avoid any direct contact with the monument. Additionally, the irrigation canal running alongside it was covered with a reinforced concrete slab, allowing its path to be slightly diverted away from the archaeological area. The 2016 mission also provided an opportunity to carry out a full photogrammetric survey of the qubba before its lower levels were rendered inaccessible by the conservation work.
In parallel with these efforts to protect and enhance the qubba, excavations were resumed in the hammam, where archaeological research had been suspended since 2009. A project to showcase the hypocaust area, which had not yet been excavated, led to the start of excavations beneath the floor levels of the hot room (caldarium). Due to poor lighting conditions in the sector (indoors without artificial light) and significant difficulties in removing excavation debris (cramped spaces and long transport routes), the study of the hypocaust area was only initiated in 2016 and will be continued during subsequent campaigns.
