Taforalt
Taforalt, in the Iberomaurusian industry of NW Africa
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 location in Morocco
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| Alternate name | Grotte des Pigeons |
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| Location | near Taforalt village, northern Oujda region |
| Region | Morocco |
| Coordinates | 34°48′38″N 2°24′30″W / 34.81056°N 2.40833°WCoordinates: 34°48′38″N 2°24′30″W / 34.81056°N 2.40833°W |
| History | |
| Periods | Middle Paleolithic |
| Cultures | pre-Mousterian, Aterian, Iberomaurusian |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1944–1947, 1950–1955, 1969-1977 |
Taforalt (or Grotte des Pigeons) is a cave located in the northern Oujda region of Morocco near the village of Taforalt. It contains significant prehistoric archaeological remains dating back 85,000 years and containing evidence associated with both the Epipaleolithic Iberomaurusian and the Middle Paleolithic Aterian industries.
Grotte des Pigeons is a cave in eastern Morocco near the village of Taforalt. Human occupation and natural processes in the cave have produced a 10 m (32.8 ft) thick layer of archaeological material dating back to between 85,000 and 82,000 years ago. These occupation layers include pre-Mousterian, Aterian, and Iberomaurusian industries reflecting the Middle Paleolithic and Epipaleolithic. Excavations of the Iberomaurusian layers dating to approximately 12,000 years ago have recovered dozens of burials with some showing evidence of postmortem processing and potential ritual use with burials containing animal remains including horns, mandible, a hoof, and a tooth. The deep and highly stratified cave floor has yielded hearths, lithics, and shell beads, among a variety of artifacts of varying ages. The dryness of the cave has contributed to the notable level of preservation found among the remains and artifacts.
The site is located around steep hills, rocky mountains, and the natural vegetation of the thermo-Mediterranean biozone including Tetraclinis articulate and Pinus halenpensis. The area itself is located in the Eastern part of Morocco near the community of Taforalt (Tafoughalt) at (34°48′38″ N, 2°24′30″ W). The large mouth of the cave opens to the northeast and has an area > 400 m2 (4,305.6 sq ft). Today the site lies around 40 km (24.9 mi) from the Mediterranean coast and at an altitude of 720 m (2,362.2 ft) above sea level.
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