Approach to the Absolute Chronology of the human settlement in the Oukaïmeden valley, (High Atlas, Morocco). Some comments

Abstract

Twenty nine radiocarbon dates were obtained from different test pits in Oukaïmeden valley. Most of them -13 dateswere performed over samples from the Neolithic site of Aougnin n’ait Ourigh, although those collected in 2012, provided an older chronology than others from the 2010 campaign. Regarding the kind of associated artefacs, the most plausible dating is Late Neolithic. Furthermore, other dates were obtained for the context 700 (Aougnin n’ait Ourigh,), two of which dated from the Bronze Age, matching with the associated ceramics. These samples allowed us to establish a relationship between rock carvings with certain weapons and others depicted or recovered in excavation in Europe and dated to Bronze Age. In the Elephants’ Shelter, we obtained a date for an End-Neolithic- Copper Age context and another from the Almoravid-Almohad period. Four other samples from the Elephants’ Frieze are discussed. The last five dates were obtained aiming to perform a paleoclimatic reconstruction of the valley. Along with the previous dates, we obtained a 6000 year record.