CHECKLIST AND ROLE OF VEGETATION IN THE DETERIORATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES CONTRIBUTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PLANTS OF CHELLAH (RABAT, MOROCCO)

Plants with a high potential for dissemination are often an integral part of archaeological sites, which are essentially natural places and, indeed, have the conditions for plants to flourish. Conservators are thus frequently confronted with the aesthetic, chemical and mechanical disorders implied by the massive growth of vegetation. This study concerns the identification of plant species, particularly vascular and non-vascular plants invading the archaeological site of Chellah in Rabat. This site, which was a Phoenician stopover as early as the 7th century B.C., experienced periods of occupation followed by long intervals of abandonment conducive to the proliferation of dense and varied vegetation.

Surveys carried out on ancient masonry have led to the establishment of a list of vascular plants of 58 species divided into 33 families and 51 genera. The most represented families are Asteraceae with 8 species, Brassicaceae with 5 species, Solanaceae with 3 species, and Lamiaceae with 3 species.

Systematic sampling of bryophytes identified 20 species belonging to 10 botanical families. Muscinae class is represented by 13 species and the Hepatics by 6 taxa.

The analysis of the biodeterioration of Chellah by the listed plants focused on their nature, their covering and their type of fixation to the substrate. The fight against this phenomenon is necessary to preserve this archaeological site, which has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 2012.