In
December 2014 me and a college visited the ancient petroglyph site of
Ait Ouazik in Southern Morocco. Our visit was a casual day activity
part of our stargazing trip to Morocco.
This
article relates my research linking astronomy to the ancient
petroglyph sites i visited, which are Ait Ouazik, Southern Morocco
and Oukaimeden, Atlas mountains, Morocco.
 |
Geographical location of the rock art sites in Morocco.
Ait Ouazik, Sahara desert, Morocco and Oukaimeden, Atlas mountains, Morocco. |
This year (January 2016) I returned to the
village of Ait Ouazik to further my research linking astronomy to the
rock art of that region. I also visited an another prehistoric rock
art site situated roughly 250 kilometers from the studied site of Ait
Ouazik and added to my research the possibility that this site too
would have been also connected to astronomy. This site is called
Oukaimeden and is located in the Atlas mountains in the region of
Oukaimeden, Morocco a present day ski resort and home to an modern
astronomical observatory. I went to investigate if on both sites the
rock art found there had a connection to astronomy.
 |
| From right to left: Ali, Mohamed, Iikka, Omar, Ali again and me (Stefan). |
Those present in the
expedition were The Guide (Mohamed), Astronomy club Marrakesh 3AM
Pres. (Ali), The blacksmith (Iikka) and me from Astronomy Club
Kustavi, Finland (Stefan).
I want to thank the
local guides at both sites: Ait Ouazik and Oukaimeden. Also a big
thank you to Sahara sky owner (Fritz) and it's crew for the
hospitality and the moral support.
First
of all, Rock art is also called petroglyph. The word petroglyph is
made of two words: Petro wich means rock and Glyph
wich means inscription.
So petroglyph means ”Rock inscription”.
Prehistoric
rock art site: Ait Ouazik
This
5000 - 8000 years old (3000 - 6000BC) prehistoric rock art site in
Southern Morocco called Ait Ouazik is full of rocks with carved
inscriptions on them. These rock carvings are the remains of an
ancient people living in this region at that time. Rock carvings
showing us a totally different environment than the arid dry Sahara
of present day. On these rocks you will find animals of the Savanna
such as Gazelles, Ostriches, rhinos and elephants. Also you will find
intricate interlace lines and circular patterns, which are out of
place and unknown.
In
my research i observed the petroglyphs and speculate on a possible
connection to astronomy. Even though the site of Ait Ouazik and
Oukaimeden has been fairly studied, the studies do not seem to be
concentrated on connecting the sites with astronomy.
My
research was to see if the rock carvings could have a connection to
astronomy.
The
results are some what stunning and surprising. I might just have
found evidence that these sites where connected to astronomy.
Ait
Ouazik and the cyclical path of the seasons
The
village of Ait Ouazik these days is a quiet, recluse village on the
slopes of beautiful surrounding mountains. But in the days of our
ancient ancestors, i believe it to be a ”pit stop” on the way the
nomad hunters travelled to follow prey animals.
The
conventional
thinking says, that the people living in these regions
and in that time (6000-3000BC) were
nomad hunter-gatherers
that lived out of hunting animals and gathering on
the way supplement food for survival. I
don't dispute this argument. In fact, i add to it that these people
were part nomad hunter-gatherer part
sedentary people having a cyclical way
of life.
 |
Cyclical way of life for ancient nomad-hunter-gatherer-sedentary people.
Ait Ouazik was probably a "pit stop" on the way
map by Maarten van Hoek - HOLLAND. |
There
were young men who went to hunt and followed the animals on their
pasturage year round. There were also a sedentary community of
elders, women and children who stood still, waiting for the men to
return with supplies (meat). These places such
as Ait Ouazik, where on the path of the
cyclical trail the nomad hunters borrowed
making them
part of the cycle.
The
animals were travelling enormous circles in the region searching for
greener grass to graze. The seasons provided these animals with the
”food” they needed in some parts of the cyclical journey they
travelled, only to return on their original grazing grounds near Ait
Ouazik. As the young hunters left to follow and chase the animals,
the hunters would also returned to Ait Ouazik from where they started
from, completing the circle.
The
Elders
Who
are these elders and why are they sedentary?
First
of, the elders were probably hunters in their young age, who followed
the animals to get food to feed the community they where part of. But
these men became old and were unable to continue to chase the animals
in these seasonal long hunts. So they stood still in one location
along the paths the young hunters took and waited for their return.
These elders were in a sense the sages of the community. With many
years of experience in hunting, they probably understood the
importance of transmitting the knowledge of hunting to next
generations. This knowledge was probably transmitted orally, but
somehow changed to be inscribe on rocks. As the seasons past at the
sedentary location (we will call it village from now on), the elders
assisted by the women and children of the village started to dedicate
their time to fashion inscriptions on rock. The elder(s) would have
chosen what to carve and the apprentices women and children would
have been his manual laborers, which would have done the rock
carvings. In evidence on the rocks found at Ait Ouazik rock art site,
the elders would have emphasized on animal pictogram to educate the
children on what to hunt. Ways to hunt them are also found at the
site such as petroglyph of traps and nets (Searight 2001. p.72). In
a sense these rock carvings were part of a school for later
generations to study and learn from. Provided by the elders, the rock
art would have been books to study and learn to assure their
survival.
 |
Practise boulder at rock art site Ait Ouazik.
The women and children would have practise carving, pecking and more. |
What
use is it to stay at one location?
To
stay at one location gives one the sense of being at the center of
the Universe. Astronomically speaking, to observe the night sky or
the Sun at one given place guaranties us always the same result. We
can trust that whatever events happens in the sky will be repeated in
the forgoing observations. In essence this is the goal of the
observers in our time and in theirs, to collect observations from a
steady place throughout the years and find a recurrent cycle to
understand and lean on.
I
believe that the elders by staying at one location, started to look
at the Sun, Moon, planets and stars and recognize motion patterns
night after night, season after season and year after year. To stay
put at one location gave them the opportunity to study the heavens in
detail. It seems to me incredible that all these rock carvings would
have only been for the benefit of hunters in a pre-dawn agricultural
settlement. It seems to me that the cyclical passage of seasons and
the cyclical route that the animals took followed by the hunters,
would have arose the curiosity of cyclical motions of the night sky
as well. Hence the elders to comprehend the cyclical path of the hunt
brought them the knowledge of a cyclical "path" motion of
the heavens. To engrave it in stone to be thought to future
generations seemed to be crucial and of the most importance for these
ancient people.
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| Color coded landscape of the prehistoric school with Standing stone, Tumulus and boulders around it. |
Astronomical
evidences on site
Do
we find evidence of rock carvings at the site that could indicate a
connection to astronomy?
Yes
we do.
The
rock art boulder direction. The motion of the night sky is
concentrated to the South, The meridian.
Petroglyphs
pointing to significant orientations of significant periods of the
year, such as Solstices and Equinoxes.
We
find many spiral-like glyphs that are out of place in the context of
the site representing perhaps infinity (Von Hoek 2015). The concept
of infinity is not far from the concept of cyclical cycles .
A
Standing stone align with the background landscape to record
important dates. The horizon align with the Standing stone offers
tantalizing evidence of astronomy.
We
find also two round ”spoke wheel” shape rock carvings indicating
perhaps an astronomical calendar. These two "spoke wheel"
petroglyphs are at the center of my research to link the ancient
people of Ait Ouazik with the knowledge of astronomy. I argue that
these "spoke wheel" rock carvings could have been some sort
of astronomical calendars keeping important times of the year and/or
probably longer calendrical counts important to these ancient people.
These
are just a few evidences mentioned in a nutshell. You will find below
a description in details of some of these evidences and more. Keep on
reading.
The
crossing of the meridian
Every
rock/boulder containing carvings on the site are all on the Southern
side of the slopes they stand in. This is confirmed by the local
guides i met on the site of Ait Ouazik in southern Morocco and and
as well of Oukaimeden in the Atlas mountains. This gives a clue to
astronomical implications, because the motion of the heavens is
concentrated on the Southern direction of the sky. The motion of the
night sky starts from the East, passes at the meridian (South) and
finishes in the West only to return the next night. In the case of
the Sun, the next morning. The fact that the rocks/boulders are
"pointing" south could tell us of a direction to look at
the petroglyph on the rock/boulder. No rock/boulders with engravings
has been found on the north side of the slope.
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| Sun crossing the meridian (South) at Ait Ouazik, Morocco. |
Dagger
petroglyphs orientated to Solstices and Equinoxes
Another
clue to an astronomical connection is that on the site of Oukaimeden
in the Atlas mountains in the North, we find petroglyphs of daggers
that possibly matches
the direction
of the Spring/Fall Equinoxes of that
time. I
took the initiative to mark the "dagger" petroglyphs with a
compass to indicate the orientation of the petroglyph. I had a lead
from researcher Chantal
Jègues-Wolkiewiez who had studied the astronomical implications and
orientations
of prehistoric paintings and rock carvings of the caves in France
including the Lascaux cave.
For
ancient people living in these rugged terrains, the daggers
aligning with
the rising or setting Sun meant changes
for the community. Important markers that defined the year
or even more longer periods of time important to know.
 |
Daggers found at Oukaimeden orientating to equinoxes and solctices.
The compass gives a good idea of the orientation these daggers points to. |
Standing
stone
We
find at Ait Ouazik a Standing stone on top of a tumulus surrounded by
broken off boulders engraved with
petroglyphs. This
standing stone resembles the small
erected uneven stones we find at the local cemetery of the present
day Ait
Ouazik. This Menhir ( Standing stone) is
a headstone
of some sort, perhaps
even one of the elder.
of the prehistoric
Ait Ouazik. The standing stone on top of
the tumulus found at Ait Ouazik is
located in the midst of the boulders engraved with
petroglyphs, sending a message that the
funeral mound was of the teacher resting beside his
teachings. The
orientation of the stone can reveal alignments with the surrounding
landscape for important markers to
identify crucial dates during
the year.
 |
| Standing stone (Southward face) at Ait Ouazik, Sahara desert, Morocco. |
Landscape
astronomy and the
local Standing stone
My
research on the field brought me to think that there could be some
connection with the surrounding landscape
and the astronomical events occurring.
The pointy mountain tops and the depressions at a far in the
surrounding mountains could have had a connection with the
orientation
of the standing stone
at the site. An
inscription carved
on the standing stone points
to a Southern direction, implying a
connection to the meridian (The
direction that the Sun takes to cross the sky),
hence a connection to astronomy.
Photography's
I took of the East side face and
the West
side face of the standing stone with the
mountains in the background revealed to
me an equinoctial orientation and a
solstice orientation. This standing stone would have been erected
to be used after the death of the elder as an astronomical marker.
Maybe indicating with the rising or setting of the Sun on the Spring
equinox or the Summer solstice, the exact date this stone was
erected.
On
each occasion in the direction of East and West I have found
correlations with the orientation of the side of the standing stone
and the rising of the Sun between a specific bowl shaped ridge in the
background mountains. A Summer solstice alignment
with the setting Sun in the west within
the lowest point between two mountains in the background give a
precise location of Summer
Solstice setting Sun
of that time. Easily recognizable year
after year within the community living there.
Precise spots in the background mountains viewed from "behind"
the eastern or western side of the Standing stone indicated important
position of the Sun to record cyclical beginnings or endings.
I
argue that if you find astronomically
connected rock art
such as the spoke wheel petroglyps and
an astronomical orientated
man erected stone (
Standing stone) within these sites, It
is fairly indicative of a connection to astronomy. Hence the elder
was maybe
an ancient
hunter, but he surely became one of the first astronomers to live in
these part of the world. This
erected stone is his testament for future generation.
To
continue teaching his knowledge of astronomy,
which was probably the new way to survive.
 |
| Standing stone (Menhir) with background hill at Ait Ouazik, SAhara desert, Morocco. |
Dating
the site using astronomical observations
Archaeological sites around the world like Ait
Ouazik and Oukaimeiden are dated using carbon 14 dating methods.
Looking for organic material at the site such as human bones,
fire pits (ancient wood) or even pottery can determine the age of the
site. Archaeoastronomy uses a different method. It uses the position
of the Sun in relation with features in the landscape. As I
mentioned earlier, the standing stone and the surrounding landscape
act as the alignment to date astronomically the site.
As you can see in the photo below, the Standing
stone and the landscape in the background coincide with
rising/settings of the Sun. By using a sky map software on my
computer, I work the time backwards to fit a time where the bearings
of the standing stone and the background landscape (in this case the
depression in form of a bowl in the mountain) would align. I noticed
that the Sunrise at Spring Equinox rises straight out of the
depression in the mountain c.4500 BC. Another alignment in the west,
indicates a setting Sun at Summer Solstice straight between the two
hills in the back ground c.4030 BC. Hence dating the site
astronomically would give us a more precise age of 4500-4030BC and not
the conventional 3000-6000BC proposed by researchers studying the
sites.
 |
Looking Eastward. Rising Sun. Alignment with Standing stone and Background mountain
(in this case a bowl shape depression in the mountain) on Spring Equinox 4500BC. |
 |
Looking Westward. Setting Sun. Alignment with Standing stone and background hills
(in this case where two hills meet) on the Summer solstice 4030BC |
The
Standing stone Inscription and Eclipses
The Standing Stone found at the site of Ait
Ouazik has an inscription on the South side face. The inscription
carved on the south face of the standing stone consists of 3 circles
within each other. 3 circles within each other going from a large
circle to a medium circle to a small circle. These 3 circles within
each other implies a reunion of the 3 celestial bodies we know that
forms the Sun, the Moon and the Earth. It could represent a solar
eclipse, a lunar eclipse or even represent the knowledge of the
interaction of these celestial bodies getting together. A suggestion
that the elder buried here had the knowledge of eclipses is not far
fetch assuming the evidences found on site linking to astronomy is
to be true. The people who buried him associated him with this
knowledge of eclipses and astronomy. In nature nothing is perfectly
round, but yet we find evidence of circles in form of carvings on the
stone. The only circle men would have known would have been the
regular everyday shape of the Sun, the shape of the Full Moon and
surely round points of light known as planets/ or stars.
 |
3x Standing stone to see the circles as an epitaph.
These 3 circles are representative of Eclipses, as the elder buried here had knowledge of astronomy. |
 |
Standing stone with circle (3) markings found
at Ait Ouazik, Sahara desert, Morocco. |
Infinity
and cyclical motion of the sky
The
researcher Marteen Von Hoek, who has visited and studied many
petroglyph sites around the world, including the rock art site of Ait
Ouazik, writes about a knowledge the people of Ait Ouazik would have
had. The knowledge of infinity (Von Hoek 2015.
http://www.rupestre.net/tracce/?p=9038).
If
these ancient people had a concept of infinity, that knowledge of an
eternal cycle could be closely related to the cyclical motion of the
night sky or the motion of the Sun. Would the knowledge of infinity
bring the ancient people closer to an understanding of the cyclical
motion of the night sky? Or would the knowledge of cyclical motion of
the night sky (astronomical knowing) bring them closer to an
understanding of Infinity? In ether cases, they bring together the
knowledge of cyclical events that could have lead to astronomical
knowledge.
With all the evidence gathered so far with the
horizon alignments, the crossing of the meridian and the astronomical
orientations, we still find more compelling astronomical evidence in
inscriptions such as the circle inscriptions on the Standing stone
and the notion of infinity to back up a solid astronomical
connection.
 |
A spiral carving found on a boulder close to the Standing stone
at Ait Ouazik. Maybe representing the concept of infinity. |
In
the making: Cupules and Indigenous Henna
It
seems crucial to the ancient people of Ait Ouazik
that they used cupules to aid in their petroglyph making.
A cupule in archaeology terms means: a circular man-made hollow cup
on the surface of a rock or a rock slab.
You will
find on the same boulders, petroglyphs
and cupules paired together. In these cupules
is where
they would have poured a mix of water and henna to draw the intended
petroglyph to be before carving it.
Henna is grown to this day in Morocco
even in the arid Sahara.
It was
probably so from the last Ice age (Catherine Cartwright-Jones 2006.
P.5). Henna could have been grown in
the prehistory as well. They would have
first sketched
the motif on the rock
with henna and then carved
the petroglyph. This would have given
them steadiness and precision we
see off the
motifs carved on the rocks.
In doing so, they could ensure an accurate description of what was
intended to be explained and keep it accurate for a very long time
through the generation. The information in a way didn't
degrade with years or even millenias.
 |
Cupule paired with it's petroglyph on boulder.
Used as a liquid holder to sketch the carvings on the rock.
Ait Ouazik, Morocco. |
Astronomical
uses for the Cupules
Cupules could have been used in an astronomical
context. Cupules filled with water could have caught a glimpse of a
reflexion of an astronomical body, such as the Moon, planets or stars
and turn the cupule paired with it's respective petroglyph into a
calendarical rock used to define certain periods of time.
 |
Spoke wheel no.1. Round shape carving depicting an astronomical calendar (with cupule at top).
Petroglyph found at Ait Ouazik, Morocco. |
This
leads to the hypothesis of reflecting "water-gazing"
for observational and calendrical
purposes.
These cupules could have been filled with water (after the petroglyph
had been made) and used as celestial
body markers. The reflexion of an
astronomical object in the shallow cupule would have gave a starting
point for the petroglyph associated with
the cupule (usually the petroglyph and the cupule would have been on
the same rock).
For
example,
the
planet Venus could have been reflected in water
that was poured in the shallow cupule
next to the petroglyph.
In this
case, the spoke wheel
petroglyph (Spoke
wheel no.1) near the Standing stone
area.
This spoke wheel etched into rock would have been the clock of Venus
in this case. A way to follow the motion of this celestial body
and make a record of it.
Also in the case of Spoke wheel bowl
petroglyph (Spoke wheel no.2) found a couple of kilometers away from
the central Standing stone area
would have been also an observing rock.
The details of the carving of Spoke wheel no.1
and Spoke wheel no.2
varies from one and other, but are very similar at the same time.
They are both used to record celestial
events even though they are a bit
different in appearance.
 |
Drawings of both Spoke wheel carvings found at Ait Ouazik, Morocco.
Different, but at the same time very similar. |
The
big difference with these two target petroglyphs is that Spoke wheel
no.2 is etched inside a bowl like shape
carving (Dimensions: 10 cm deep, 30 cm
circumference). What is even more
compelling
is that this spoke wheel no.2 petroglyph found at the bottom of this
bowl is
begging to be connected
with water reflexion observations.
 |
Spoke Wheel no.2. Fisheye view of the boulder and petroglyph.
Background: Iikka, Hamzed and Ali. |
 |
Spoke wheel no.2 carving inside a bowl shape carving
carved into a boulder. This was used for observation of the night sky
and record important celestial events using the bowl, water and the petroglyph at the bottom of the bowl. |
Cupules
transformed into astronomical bowls
Cupules
are generally shallow depressions found
next to the petroglyphs at Ait Ouazik. These
cupules are small in size and do not incorporate inscriptions within
the cupules.
Only one
petroglyph is found to be inside a
deeper cupule,
in fact more like a bowl. The
petroglyph in question is
"spoke wheel no.2".
Inside a deep cupule,
a bowl, you
find this
round concentrical "spoke wheel"
shape
carving. This is very peculiar for a
petroglyph to be found at the "bottom" of a man made
spherical bowl shape "Cupule".
To
me this indicates that
the ancient observers
had created
an astronomical tool. An astronomical
tool incorporating the spoke wheel no.2
petroglyph
at the bottom of the bowl, the bowl-like
cupule permitting water to be poured in and the orientation
of the rock in relation to
the meridian.
To
use this tool, water would
have been poured
into the
bowl to permit reflection
of the celestial object
and therefore use the spoke wheel
petroglyph
at the bottom of that pool of water as
a clock to follow the planet's motion.
Indicating
a specific starting
or finishing
time of an
astronomical cycle.
Further
more, the boulder with the petroglyph spoke wheel no.2 is found 2
kilometers from the central Standing
stone area of Ait Ouazik. Defining it as
a dark spot observation point, to conduct fine observations without
the "light" pollution of fires and smoke near the habitable
zone of ancient Ait Ouazik.
 |
Me and the Spoke wheel no.2 petroglyph. 2 km. off the site of Ait Ouazik Standing stone.
Isolated boulder indicating a observation point far from camp fire
and smoke of the habited site of Ait Ouazik Standing stone site. |
In conclusion, the prehistoric sites in both
locations were fascinating. Even more when you see them through
archaeoastronomy eyes. My purpose was to link the sites to astronomy
and with the large amount of evidences I found there. I am confident
that these ancient ancestors at these sites had a connection to the
heavens. They really had the knowledge of astronomy and practised it
in every day life. My research is done for now, but it seems far from
being over as more sites around the world are uncovered. Ancient
sites, revealing ancient astronomy that helped ancient people to
survive up to this day. A connection between our ancestors and
astronomy, leading the knowledge of astronomy to today.
Continue reading the next article in the series.
Please
take time to read more on the subject.
Links:
Read more about Astronomy Club Toutatis, Kustavi, Finland.
