Oukaïmeden, Morocco

Oukaïmeden is an alpine-like valley set 2,630 metres above sea level at the core of Morocco’s High Atlas. Records from the 16th century onwards refer to its seasonal profit as summer pasturage by herders coming from villages settled at mid-altitude. It is a well-known place due to the existence of a ski resort, and a well-frequented tourist destination for people coming from Marrakech during the summer. It is also home to one of the most impressive collections of rock art engravings in Morocco, with about 250 rock art sites and one thousand depictions scattered throughout the valley.
Oukaïmeden rock art has been thoroughly studied by Malhome (1959, 1961) and Rodrigue (1999), and along with the Yagour plateau and Jbel Rat constitute the core of High Atlas rock art.

High Atlas rock art is remarkably different not only from the rest of Moroccan rock art, but also from most other depictions documented throughout the Sahara. Although some of the engravings correspond to cattle depictions similar to those of nearby regions, there are other images known only in this region. One particular type comprises detailed, large human figures represented frontally, surrounded by weapons and other symbols. Another common kind of depiction is circular shapes with inner designs, which most probably represent shields. Weapons are also very common, usually depicted in isolation, but not held by warriors as is common in most of the North African images. Together with these themes, Oukaïmeden is characterised by a significant number of elephant representations (something surprising considering its altitude!) and a huge number of complex, geometric symbols whose interpretation remains obscure.

Chronologically speaking, it seems Oukaïmeden engravings started to appear during the mid-3rd millennium BC, when the Sahara desert became increasingly drier and summer grazing became more and more important. The earliest depictions consisted mainly of animals, especially cattle, which was the species that benefited the most from green pastures. As time passed, pressure on this resource grew and tensions arose among the communities that used the valley. From the 2nd millennium BC onwards, animal depictions were replaced by images of weapons and warriors, showing a different, more violent way of reclaiming rights over pastures. That situation continued during the long Libyan-Berber period that started around the mid-1st millennium BC and lasted until the Muslim conquest of the area, around the 7th century AD. The arrival of Islam does not imply the immediate disappearance of rock art engravings, but their number decreased significantly and they progressively lost their significance, becoming incidental in Oukaïmeden history.

Unlike most of the rock art sites in North Africa, Oukaïmeden was not inhabited the whole year: the heavy snow that falls during the winter prevented occupation during the winter season. But that same snow made the valley a strategic resource for the villages placed in the surrounding, lower areas. During summer, when pastures became drier in the area around Marrakech, herders would take their sheep and cattle to Oukaïmeden for grazing, much in the way as it is still done today.

Although Oukaïmeden rock art is distributed throughout the valley, there are some sites with scenes that stand above the rest due to their complexity and significance. One of them is the so-called Elephants’ Frieze, a horizontal rock face where four elephants, a feline, a rhinoceros or warthog and two human figures facing the animals were depicted. Two later, vertical Libyan-Berber inscriptions were added to the panel. The scene is placed near a shelter, facing a stream which constitutes one of the main access routes to the valley grazing areas.

The relevance of Oukaïmeden rock art is renowned, and the whole area has been protected since 1951 by the Moroccan government, while the National Centre of Rock Art Heritage in Marrakech has carried on several research projects in the area. However, the interest in the site doesn’t mean its preservation is assured: the growing incidence of tourism, the extraction of stones for building purposes in nearby Marrakech and vandalism are threats that have still to be dealt with. The fragile environment of Oukaïmeden valley adds an extra concern about the preservation of one of the most complete and better-preserved rock sites in Morocco.