The National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage Sciences (INSAP) recently reported that the tombstone discovered near El Jadida bearing inscriptions in Tifinagh dates from the pre-Islamic era.
Research is continuing to further clarify the exact dating in the stone, after many denounced the authenticity of the story relic.
In a statement, the institution stressed that a commission of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage and the provincial authorities of El Jadida was fully mobilized for this purpose.
In a statement to MAP, the archaeologist and director of the Center for Studies and Research on Moroccan-Lusitanian heritage, Aboulkacem Chebri, said that the team has yet to locate the site of the discovery, making it difficult for archaeologists to run their thorough research.
The deciphering revealed by Abdelaziz El-Khayari, a specialist in ancient Amazigh languages throughout North Africa within INSAP, offered « the opportunity to revisit our history. »
In its statement, INSAP said it was based on the examination of photographs conducted by El-Khayari, highlighting that it was a tombstone with funerary inscriptions, in vertical line and in Libyques.
This is the Amazigh letters used in ancient times, giving rise to modern tifinagh.
According to the institute, the writing is “similar in terms of type and characteristics of the Libyan epigraphy used in other inscriptions previously discovered in the regions of Ain Jamaa (south-west of Casablanca), Sidi El Arbi (suburb of Mohammedia), Nkhila (Settat region) and Souk Jamaa (Maaziz) …”
Aboulkacem Chebri stressed to MAP that the Libyan or Punic inscriptions, generally Amazigh, date back to a few centuries before Christ.
The specialist said that any new discovery reveals « new discoveries from these centuries less known to historians and archaeologists. »
“The areas that had not known a Roman occupation are still poorly known,” he added.
In this sense, he appealed for people who have revealed the find to specify its location, to help advance the investigations.
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