Rabat – A team of Moroccan and Polish archaeologists have discovered for the first time an observation tower built and used by the Roman army in the province of Mauretania Tingitana in Northern Morocco.
The joint discovery is part of a cooperation agreement between the University of Warsaw and the Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage (INSAP) in Rabat.
TVP World, a Polish news channel reported that work at the site has been ongoing since 2021, adding that the tower was built on the southern border of the Roman province, about 6.5 kilometers south of the historic town of Volubilis and about two kilometers from the nearest garrison.
The Polish news channel also found that “Fragments of pilum, or Roman javelins, were found at the site, as well as nails nailed to the soles of military sandals and metal components of the cingulum (military belt).”
“What Polish archaeologists from the University of Warsaw, headed by Professor Radosław Karasiewicz Szczypiorski, have unearthed in recent days, has exceeded our expectations,” Polish Ambassador to Morocco Krzysztof Karwowski told TVP World.
“The foundations of the Roman defence tower are wonderful evidence of the Roman defence system around Volubilis,” he added. “This is thanks to the excellent cooperation between Polish and Moroccan archaeologists. We look forward to their further discoveries.”.
The ancient former capital of Mauretania Tingitana Volubilis is situated north of Meknes and is one of Morocco’s tourist attractions.
Volubilis, also known as “Walili” in Arabic, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, and many of its artifacts can be found at the Rabat Archaeological Museum.
Volubilis attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors and has recently expanded with the addition of a new museum and visitor center.
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