| Location | Jbila,Tangier, Morocco |
|---|---|
| Region | Mauretania Tingitana |
| Coordinates | 35°45′21″N5°56′09″W / 35.7558°N 5.9359°W /35.7558; -5.9359 |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Builder | Romans |
| Founded | After 40 AD |
| Abandoned | c. 3rd century AD |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1965 |
| Archaeologists | Michel Ponsich and Miquel Tarradell |
| Condition | Ruins |
Cotta orCotte was an ancient town built byRomans in the 1st century AD, in the province ofMauretania Tingitana, intended to function primarily as agarum factory. The town was likely abandoned in the 3rd century AD. Its ancient ruins are now located on theAtlantic coast[1] of modern-dayMorocco a few kilometers south ofCap Spartel, and include the garum factory, an olive press, a temple, a villa and a bath complex.[2][3]
Some researchers have identified Cotta with "Gytte" fromHanno's voyage.Michel Ponsich [fr] highlighted the similarity of the name of Cotta to the ancient name ofCap Spartel,Kotes, which is related to "grapes".[4][5]Pliny the Elder mentioned in hisNatural History that beyond thepillars of Hercules, there existed formerly two settlementsLixus and Cotte. Bochart suggested that the name "Cotta" or "Cotte" may be derived from Hebrew "quothef" meaning "vine-dresser".[6]
The factory at Cotta was established in Mauretania Tingitana after the annexation of the Kingdom ofMauretania in 40 AD. It is one of several other factories established on both sides of the Mediterranean (North Africa andIberia), and was intended to be a self-sufficient complex, given the presence of farming land nearby.[2]
It is uncertain if Cotta is the same settlement mentioned by Pliny the Elder which, according to him, had been destroyed before the Roman period. The findings at the site point to an active exploitation no older than the 1st century AD.[7]
The site was excavated by archaeologistsMichel Ponsich [fr] andMiquel Tarradell in 1965. It is the most thoroughly excavated site of its kind in ancient Tingitana. Its structure is no different from other sites found for example atLixus andBaelo Claudia.[3]
Since the 1990s, the site has been integrated in the palace complex of a Saudi prince.[7]
Cotta is located on the Atlantic coast, 14 kilometers southwest ofTangier, and 5 kilometers south ofCap Spartel.
The site is 56 meters long and 40 meters wide. It contains 16 basins of various sizes, surrounding a water reservoir. Along the basins, there are long halls for receiving and preparing fish, and on the other side there are ovens. There's also a space for producing oil, which contains oil presses and 3 basins. Ponsich also mentioned the presence of a 7 by 4.4 meters building, which he identified as a temple forPoseidon. He also identified 15 graves (already excavated byCésar Luis de Montalbán [es]) which go back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.[7]
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