M'zora stone circle
The stone circle of M'zora is one of the few remnants of megalithic culture in Morocco . The complex consists of 167 stones, which are on average only about 1.50 m high and are arranged in a circle with a diameter of about 58 m. Already in ancient times the complex was converted into a burial mound ( bazina ) for a Berber prince .
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location
The stone circle (cromlech) is only about 10 km as the crow flies, but about 30 km drive south-east of Asilah and about 10 km from the Atlantic at an altitude of about 100 m . It is embedded in a gentle and fertile hilly landscape. The El Gour tumulus is the closest comparable structure.
history
Nothing is known about the history of the stone circle; its age is thought to be around 5000 years. At the turn of the ages (i.e. probably in the 1st or 2nd century AD) it was transformed into a tumulus ; from then on the megaliths served as its border. In the meantime, however, the tumulus has largely been removed by natural forces and human hands.
In the immediate vicinity of the Cromlech there are some large broken menhirs on the ground - it is unclear whether they broke during transport or when being erected, or whether they were overturned in an earthquake or even by human hands.
architecture
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The stone circle has a diameter of approx. 58 m and consists of over 160 stones, most of which do not reach more than 1.50 m above ground level. Only the largest menhir known as el-uted الوتد ( Moroccan Arabic , "peg", Standard Arabic al-watad ) reaches a height of approx. 5.40 m above ground level (a total of over 6 m); another stone is approx. 4.5 m high. So far there have been no geological investigations into the exact origin of the stones, which were probably brought in from the area and erected using tree trunk rollers and levers.
The outer edge of the bazina consisted of precisely hewn stones with the approximate dimensions of 60 × 30 × 15 cm; however, most of these stones have disappeared.
meaning
The function or meaning of all Cromlechs is ultimately still unclear. The common hypotheses range from prehistoric places of worship or healing, ban circles, meeting places or places of judgment to the observatory or sun and / or lunar sanctuary.
The circular shape has long been associated with infinity or with the vault of heaven (cf. Nebra sky disk ). The stone called El Uted is located almost exactly to the west of the complex, i.e. towards sunset, which could indicate a connection to death and the underworld. A cultic-astronomical function of the Cromlech, which cannot be determined in more detail, is therefore likely.
After it was converted into a tumulus, already in Roman times, the huge complex was equated with the grave of the giant Antaios , the son of Gaia and Poseidon , who was robbed and killed by Heracles . An interpretation of the tumulus as a burial place of a regionally important Berber prince is more likely - this would be classified in the archaeological type of Bazinas, which is widespread north of the Sahara .
A scaled-down model of the cromlech is in the Archaeological Museum of Tétouan .
See also
literature
- Henry Koehler: Les civilizations mégalithiques du Maroc, le Menhir de Mesora. in: Bulletin de la Société de Préhistoire Française , 29, 1932, pp. 413-420.
- Miguel Tarradell Maleu: El túmulo de Mezora (Marruecos) , in: Archivo de Prehistoria Levantina 3 (1952) 229-239. ( online )
Web links
- Cercle mégalithique (Cromlech) M'Zora (French)
- El Túmulo de Mezora (Spanish)
- Msoura - Stone Circle in Morocco (English)
- Cromlech de Mzora (Spanish)
- Re-discovery of Moroccan Megalithic Stone Circle (English)
- Cromlech de Mzora, Maroc
- Cromlech de Mzora Sidi el Yamani (private video, Spanish, from 1:05 min)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Hespéris-Tamuda , Vol. 35, Editions techniques nord-africaines, Rabat 1997, p. 32.
Coordinates: 35 ° 24 ′ 15 " N , 5 ° 56 ′ 38" W.