A Garden Of Hesperids? A Case Study From Morocco:
Specific Location And Suitable Environment
The Garden of the Hesperides may have been located at the westernmost tip of the
Mediterranean Sea in North Africa, near the Atlas Mountains, on the edge of the world ocean,
in present-day Morocco.
Whether or not these sites are more accurately described, model studies have emerged that are
of interest for understanding patterns in Moorish and Roman northwestern Morocco and
suggest that they ideally explore the relationship between sites, subsistence, access to the sea,
and agriculture. They also examine location and distance from the sea and the relationship to
maritime trade with the Mediterranean. These models are examples of successful ecosystem
ensembles that can be used to determine the distribution of settlements based on environmental
resources and cultural factors. In this study, 30 sites are examined.
To understand the Mauritanian and Roman models in northwest Morocco, the results are
compared with early settlement data to identify differences, for example in agriculture. The
colonization of Mauritanian and Roman Morocco is marked by the presence of imports from
Mediterranean Phoenician culture with coastal settlements such as for example Ceuta. The
study compares the proximity of ports and agriculture in terms of habitat suitability. For large
settlements with local political influence, the location of existing sites may affect future sites
independently of suitability for agriculture. However, northwest Morocco is an interesting case
for understanding settlement expansion because the settlement pattern represents a high level
of settlement.
The algorithm used in this study is used to generate patterns over time using interaction-
simulated models. For example, the Lucas River estuary on the coastal plain of Lixus was a
large lagoon in terms of suitability based on distance from a viable port in the Moorish and
Roman periods and was subsequently reclaimed. These settlements in northwest Morocco can
be modeled in this way. In this case, once the applicability of the models has been established,
the main objective is to assess the influence of agricultural potential and access to maritime
trade sites on the suitability of different settlements.
Other locations are also mentioned in connection with the Hesperidek Garden. For example,
the Sicilian Greek poet Stesichora in his poem "Song of Geryon" and the Greek geographer
Strabo in the third volume of the book Geography mention that the Garden of the Hesperides
was located in Tartessus in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. However, in the light of this
independent study and other sources, it is possible that some of the 30 sites investigated in
north-west Morocco may be the mythical Garden of the Hesperides.
Other locations are also mentioned in connection with the Hesperidek garden. For example,
the Sicilian Greek poet Stesichorus in his poem "Song of Geryon" and the Greek geographer
Strabo in the third volume of his book Geography mention that the Garden of the Hesperides
was located in Tartessus in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. However, in the light of this
independent study and other sources, it is possible that some of the 30 sites studied in north-
west Morocco may be the mythical Garden of the Hesperides.
© Emil Adamec 2023