La regione di Casablanca-Settat: i dati telerilevati per la documentazione dei centri storici dimenticati

The research presented in this paper is the result of an ISPC-MAECI Project (Archaeological prospecting for the reconstruction of the Punic archaeometallurgical contexts of the Maghreb under the direction of Prof. Lorenza Ilia Manfredi). This research started in Morocco in 2012 along the Moulouya river, in the Middle Atlas area, and now continue with new research works along the Oum er-Rbia river. The Oum er-Rbia river originates from the northern slope of the Middle Atlas and flows into the Atlantic Ocean, close to the historic city of Azemmour. Unlike the coast, the context of inland areas in ancient times is completely unknown. This area was controlled by Berber tribes, more or less influenced by the contributions of external cultures. For this reason there were certainly numerous settlements that arose in connection with the maritime sites, but no archaeological data exists or are available. This research tries to partially fill this lack of data through remote sensing application, and allowed to identify a series of remarkable archaeological marks documenting numerous abandoned fortified centers in an area that is now sparsely populated. The study of some of these sites was deepened through a preliminry archaeological survey with the aim of validating what was identified and interpreted by remote sensing.