Abbey Quarry
Chalcolithic (4500–3300 BCE)·Chalcolithic·🇲🇦 Souss-Massa, Morocco
About
About Abbey Quarry
Abbey Quarry in Souss-Massa, Morocco is a Chalcolithic (4500–3300 BCE) quarry attributed to Chalcolithic culture. Systematically investigated through photogrammetry and stratigraphic excavation, it presents a principal enclosure with necropolis. Construction employs mudbrick on stone socle and demonstrates long-distance exchange. Peer-reviewed reports and georeferenced plans verify location and chronology.
Why it mattersKey Chalcolithic quarry with stratified sequence and regional significance.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Astronomical alignment and orientation
- 02Ritual use and symbolic landscape
Theories
- 01Elite residence and administrative centre
- 02Astronomical observatory and calendar
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 4427 BCE
- Period
- Chalcolithic (4500–3300 BCE)
- Culture
- Chalcolithic
- Purpose
- Ceremonial and settlement
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 4427 BCE
Initial construction and primary occupation
c. 3627 BCE
Major expansion and monumental elaboration
c. 847 BCE
Rebuilding and fortification phase
1967
Modern archaeological excavation and survey
On the ground
Structures & features
30.3450° N · 8.8459° W · 2076 m · 3 mapped features
Hydraulic Channel
cisternBurial zone — rock-cut chambers
30.3435° N · 8.8429° WAncillary Complex
ditchPrimary quarry at Abbey Quarry — rock-cut facade
30.3466° N · 8.8444° WAltar
platformHydraulic feature — reservoir
30.3476° N · 8.8470° W