Polish archaeologists will look Slavic fortress in Morocco
Archaeologists from Szczecin and Poznań are preparing for the October expedition in search of a Slavic fortress in Morocco. Scientists want to find Qarjat as-Saqaliba, the fortified settlement founded by the rebel Slavic slaves at the turn of IX and X centuries.
The search will cover the area of the Rif mountains, where at the turn of the IX and X centuries was the kingdom of Nekor - said in an interview with PAP chief scientist of the expedition, Dr. Wojciech Filipowiak.
"The dynasty Banu Salih used a guard made of Slavic slaves. The journey of prisoners often started in the Baltic trade centres such as Wolin and Szczecin. When the guards revolted, they were driven from the capital and built the mountain fortress Qarjat as-Saqaliba, which translate as the village of Slavs" - he told PAP.
He added that "Al-Bakri, Arab historian of the eleventh century, in the +Book of roads and kingdoms+ was the only to describe the Slavic fortified settlement in the north of Morocco. The book also contains first mention of the country of Mieszko".
"In Morocco, we plan to visit museums in Tetouan, Fez and Rabat, to see the original archaeological material from before a thousand years. Then we will go to the Rif Mountains. Based on maps, place names, topography, we will look for suitable places where the fortress could be located. We also count on contacts with locals" - explained Filipowiak.
"If we combine linguistic, archaeological and ethnographic methods, we have a shot at finding traces of the Slavic fortress. Do not look for an analogy with the discovery of Troy by Heinrich Schliemann, but if we join forces of these disciplines, the odds get better" - he said.
In his opinion, "this story is a big clamp fastening the Slavic world of the early Middle Ages". "On the one hand, Wolin and an important trading post on the map of the then Europe, on the other, a Slavic fortress, founded by slaves in the Moroccan mountains" - emphasised Filipowiak.
"So far, in the Rif mountains Moroccan scientists conducted only surface research" - said in an interview with PAP the expedition scientific supervisor, Africanist Prof. Ryszard Vorbrich.
"During our trip in October this year we plan to select locations, in which in the future we will begin detailed archaeological search. According to the chronicle, the Slavs built a village not far from the capital of the Sultanate. Today it is a small village Mnoud Nekkour on the river Oued Nekor . We wonder how far could the Slavic settlement be built. I believe that this should be less than half a day\'s journey, but it could be a little farther" - he added.
The search in Morocco will be preceded by visits of scientists in archives and libraries in Aix-en-Provence, France. In Seville, Spain, historians and archaeologists will consult with Prof. Ahmed Tahiri, one of the greatest authorities on the Emirate of Nekor.
Vorbrich added that Polish researchers were counting on the help of specialists from the Moroccan research centres, particularly linguists interested in archaic Arabic language, as well as the Berber language.
"If our search project contributes even a little to supplementing the knowledge of the history of Morocco and the past of Slavs, it will be a big success" - noted Vorbrich.
PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland
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