 Thanks dear colleagues. As part of a research project in the Moroccan Atlas Mountains, I had the opportunity to climb Mount Shib el-Asruki last summer. As you can see this distinct massive which reaches an altitude of 3700 meters offers a fantastic panoramic view. But the mountain is also interesting from an archaeological perspective. It's considered it's considered holy by the nomadic people and a sacrificial feast is still celebrated annually in the eastern area of its summit. The tour of the mountain and our first studies in the area inspired me to hold this event today. And I'm delighted that you have accepted our invitation. I look forward over the next few minutes to give to giving you an initial glimpse of the sacrificial landscape of the Ait Atta nomadic people in Morocco. As I'm sure you are aware various forms of animal husbandry have developed over the last millennia in many mountainous regions around the world. Nomads are by definition not sedentary, which means that the owners of the herds move from pasture to pasture with their animals. Their families and their belongings carried by back animals using fixed routes and reacting to seasonal climatic and vegetational changes. Mobility patterns arise from the nomads detailed knowledge of the physical and cultural features of the landscape and the needs of their animals. Over the course of the last decades many nomads have transitioned to a semi or let's say post nomadic form of pastoralism where only a few or a small section of the community follows the seasonal movements of the herds whilst the larger part of the community remains sedentary and carries out other jobs in permanent settlements. This transformation has had far-reaching consequences with regard to traditional land use, the economy, vegetation, mobility and interactions. It also resulted in a dramatic loss of knowledge gathered over the centuries, very little of which has been recorded in writing. This is the starting point of our ethno-archaeological documentation on one of the last families from the Ait Atta tribe in Morocco, which still maintain that traditional lifestyle. Originating from various ethnic groups in the northern Sahara desert, the Ait Atta tribe are known to have lived in the Shebel-Saharro mountain range. You see it in the house since the late medieval times. From there they spread far north into various oasis. The family that our team has followed since 2017 leave their winter camp in the Shebel-Saharro in the spring and move some hundred fifty kilometers northwards. You can see the route on the map. They spent the summer month with their 200 sheep and goats on the pastures of the High Atlas Mountains before returning south in the autumn. Of course, the animals are of crucial importance, not just from an economic point of view, but also as a source of raw material for clothing, housing, implements and so on. The staple diet of the nomads is mainly based on grain and other plant-based produce, parted from sedentary farms. Transportation of the grain and other goods requires mounds and pack animals. The family itself that we accompanied have several dromedaries and mules. This led to an almost symbiotic relationship between humans and animals in all aspects of life. After two weeks the family have reached the summer pastures of the High Atlas Mountains. From the end of May till September they will stay at their permanent summer camp. The beginning and the end of the grazing season are newly determined each year. Known as Akdal Damda, the area is located some 200 kilometers east of Marrakesh at an altitude of 2,500 meters. The Aitbukmes, a well-known fertile high valley with permanent settlements, is not far from there. To this day the so-called Akdal system from Gdell, animals at pasture or grazing, regulates the use of land for agriculture or pasture between the sedentary and nomadic communities. As a local system of traditional forestry and land use it determines boundaries, rites of way and periods and modalities of use of the natural resources in the Atlas Mountains. Numerous foot or sandal rock carvings are perhaps visible evidence of such agreements and old alliances between the Ait Atta and local tribal communities. They date back to intertribal alliance rituals from the Islamic period. The multi-phased rituals involved exchanging sandals between the parties. Carving a foot or a sandal-shaped motif into the rock sealed the contract that regulated the use of the pasture land. Hundreds of rock carvings can be found at the summer camp and in particular at the foot of the holy Mount Asurki. Based on the vegetation and liking growth we can say that at least some of them must be several centuries old. However the rock art may also be related to other rituals such as pilgrimage. We remember the sandal center socks in the morning. Today's nomads however are no longer aware of the meaning of these symbols. For the purposes of our documentation we asked several of the nomads to create a mental map of their territory between the two mountain ranges. The result was a record of various elements that structured the landscape along their annual migration routes. Sources of water, good campsites, pastures, pasture land, cemeteries and central marketplaces. Two holy mountains finally were particularly important in the mental mapping of the landscape. Shebel Amlal in the Thouse on the right below and Shebel Asurki in the High Atlas Mountains which I have already mentioned. I would like now to give you some more information about Shebel Asurki. Shebel Asurki is not an individual mountain or peak but a mighty 3700 high mountain mass that is dominant from all sides. On the route the nomads take the mountain first becomes visible at an elevation of 3,300 meters above sea level on the Tizi Nigorane Pass. Several stone structures that we were able to record on this pass were probably burial mounds. It is probably of significance that Shebel Asurki is visible as a landmark from there for the first time when coming from Thouse. As I have mentioned we were able to examine the summit area of Shebel Asurki in more detail for the first time last summer. A large cave which remains filled with snow and ice all summer long was particularly striking. There is a local legend that the prophet Muhammad should have been originally buried in this cave. The camel carrying this body had already arrived there. Unfortunately the sedentary tribe living in the valley to west of Shebel Asurki made much noise to frighten birds off their fields. They made such a row on this occasion too that unwittingly the frightened off the camel that was burying the prophet's body. In terror the poor camel turned around to make the long return to hedges. The deep grave already prepared remained empty. A palm tree is said to grow under the eternal snow in the cave. As the snow never disappears the presence of the symbolic palm tree at the place where Muhammad's tomb should have been can never be checked. This special snow field cave and this strong legend is surely one of the reasons why the mountain is venerated and seen as holy. A sacrificial site that is still used every summer by Jait Atta is located just a few hundred meters away. Here we can see several drystone walls and platforms that serve as windbreaks for the fire and for communal meals. In the summer of 2018 the oldest son of the family attended a sacrificial feast. At the beginning of the summer the nomads raised money to buy a communal animal. The animals that are sacrificed on Shabila's Ruki are usually rams or billies. Roughly two weeks after Ramadan a group of some 20 people, men, women and also children go up to this mountain. The sacrificial site is circled three times with the animal before it is slaughtered and eaten by the group and everybody spends the night on the mountain. Water to make tea is sourced from this snow field cave. The animal sacrifice is generally linked with a particular wish e.g. for pregnancy. If the wish is granted another animal is slaughtered at a later date to give thanks. During our first visit of the sacrificial site we recorded several simple platforms with fireplaces. Numerous bones from various animal species, sheep, goat and even rabbit, were identified and large amounts of chicken feathers were also found in several places. According to our sources chickens are sacrificed by other nomadic tribes from a different pasture area. They had also left behind this white blanket and some candles. Other pilgrims can take the candles away. Sometimes also money is left on a blanket and it can also be taken. A small test excavation yielded a thick stratum made up of layers of charcoal and ash which contained numerous animal bones and also some flint objects. Of course it's quite tempting to speculate concerning the origin of this ritual. Burbers often attribute religious significance to trees, caves, cliffs and spring. So it's possible that the summit of Asruki was holy before the coming of Islam and that the story of the grave was a means of keeping up its local importance under this new religion. Let's leave this holy mountain Jebel Asruki and return to our nomadic family summer camp. As I have mentioned the sacrificial ritual is still performed every summer despite the fact that the aidate nomads are relatively strict Muslims. Because it is viewed as a pagan ritual the tradition is not particularly well received. However the women seem to be the main driving force behind maintaining this custom. At least that was the impression we got from our interviews. In any case Jebel Asruki continues to be perceived as a permanent part of their territory. These features probably date further back than was previously thought. Test ranches within the structures of the summer camp yielded again a thick stratigraphic sequence of layers of dung. We will therefore continue to carry out our interdisciplinary investigation in the area in the following years. Finally, Jebel Almall the second holy mountain in the winter territory of the aidata remains unexplored you see it on the right side on top. The mountain which is clearly not as high as Jebel Asruki has a shrine on its summit which is also linked to annual animal sacrifice. Moreover one of only a few Islamic cemeteries where the nomads are buried is located approximately one or two days away. Therefore the area about between Jebel Asruki and the Hayatas mountains that is used and structured by the aidata from a time and space born of you is not only the natural environment upon which their subsistence depends but also exhibits several elements of a sacred or let's say ritual landscape. The area surrounding the summer camp with the Jebel Asruki has yielded striking evidence of ritual practice that may date from quite far back in time. The continued active use of the sacrificial site in conjunction with further archaeological research may provide important information on the history, function and the use of this mountain sanctuary. The family spent the winter month in the desert like Jebel Asruki mountain range in an area called Dasuend at an altitude of 1,300 meters some 350 kilometers southeast of Marrakesh near the small town of Nikkho. In recent decades most aidata who previously led a full nomadic lifestyle have settled there permanently and had given up their traditional nomadic way of life. The family that we have followed for several years now will also turn back on their traditional mobile lifestyle. Our project aims to observe this fascinating process of transformation. Thanks for listening.