Morocco’s Minister of Youth and Culture Mohammed Mehdi Bensaid announced on Friday that the government will be restoring Cromlech Mzoura, an archaeological site in Larache Province in Northern Morocco, in recognition of its historical importance not only for Morocco’s national heritage but also internationally.
Located on a hill at an altitude of 54 meters, about 20 km northeast of Larache, the Mzoura site is a “cromlech,” a circle of prehistoric standing stone, featuring 167 standing stones of various shapes and sizes. It is considered the largest of its kind in North Africa, probably dating from the Bronze Age.
During a visit to the site, Minister Bensaidi said that due to its historical and heritage significance and unique architectural and historical features, more in-depth scientific research of the site is warranted.
“Since there are still unanswered questions about the site’s past, the Ministry is dedicated to restoring it and bolstering scientific research there, which will be conducted by the National Institute of Archaeology,” he said. The Ministry will “assist educators and researchers in their investigation.”
INSAP Director Abdeljalil Bouzouggar stressed that “the site is very important not only for the history of Morocco, but also for the history of Africa and mankind.”
He described the site as made up of two parts: the first consists of the circle of stones dating from the third to the fourth millennium BC, while the second is the “tumulus,” a raised mound at the center of the circle, which dates from the fourth and fifth centuries BC.
The site is extremely important historically, the archaeologist said. With features dating from drastically different eras, it is a unique example of the continuity of human activity in one place, demonstrating the ability of the ancient inhabitants to erect stone structures, such as the installation of two stones measuring between 4.2 and 5 meters at the entrance, as well as the creation of a circle of stones 1.5 meters high millennia later.