Natural and anthropogenic factors impacting northern Morocco's coastal archaeological heritage: A preliminary assessment

The coastline of Morocco extends across the northwest Maghreb region of Africa, from the western Mediterranean to the eastern Atlantic. Cultural heritage resources include archaeological remains that reveal a myriad of past human activities in the country's coastal zone, from Middle Paleolithic habitation sites to historical large-scale port infrastructure. As also experienced globally, natural and anthropogenic factors are affecting the stability and morphology of Morocco's coastal zone and impacting the archaeological sites therein. Recently, Morocco ratified the UN Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Protocol and enacted a national ICZM law that include frameworks for management plans to include cultural heritage resources. One of the main challenges to developing ICZM plans in Morocco, however, is a gap in knowledge: there has been no baseline assessment of how all the factors at play impact cultural heritage assets. By focusing on northern Morocco as a case study, I identify six factors that specifically affect the coastline with examples of documented and potential impacts on archaeological sites. This is intended as a preliminary assessment that also aims to contribute to the development and content of potential management plans with recommendations for next steps.

Automated summary

The coastline of Morocco is rich in cultural heritage resources, but is being impacted by natural and anthropogenic factors. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding how these factors affect cultural heritage assets. By focusing on northern Morocco, this study identifies factors that affect the coastline and provides recommendations for the development of management plans.