Neglect and underestimation of the eventual potential of Moroccan protohistory have led to a lack of research in this area, and , as a consequence, the lack of sufficient data for this period. Changing this situation is the reason for which we have engaged, in the ‘corridor’ of Taza, in a large program of survey and excavation. The choice of this area is hardly by chance, for this is the route that must have been taken , by people in both pre and protohistoric times. Thus we aim to reveal new information on both paleoanthropology and tumuli. What is more, a considerable number of these tombs along the corridor should reveal better protohistoric data: hence our decision to concentrate on their study.
The survey carried out between 20/12 2004 and 3/01/2005 in the region allowed us to discover a good number of these tumuli. There is a concentration along the right bank of the oued Melloulou 6 km to the west of the town of Guercif.
Certainly, a good number of these had already been recorded in 1921 by Joseph Campardou. However, no excavation has ever been undertaken there. This is the aim of the program “Paleoanthropology and tumuli of the corridor of Taza”. Since then, excavation seasons in June and July of 2005, 2006 and 2007 have allowed the recovery of a multitude of new data which we aim to finalize in 2008.