| The political economy and settlement systems of medieval Morocco witnessed major transformations between the ninth and fifteenth centuries A.D. Based on a recent theoretical framework, it was postulated that medieval Moroccan political economy changed from a reliance on agricultural surplus to a reliance on long-distance sub-Saharan gold trade. Furthermore, change in political economy triggered a shift in settlement patterns from a multitiered hierarchy of settlement size to a “primate” one.; This study utilizes multiple lines of evidence, including documentary sources, numismatic evidence, and ceramic compositional data (instrumental neutron activation analysis). These data were used to examine (1) the sources of state finance systems, (2) the material impact of changing political economies on the size, location, and distribution of settlements, and (3) local exchange and community interaction.; The results of textual and numismatic analyses support the premise that the transition from the Idrisid to later dynastic periods was accompanied by a major transformation in the political economy and settlement systems. During the Idrisid period, agricultural surplus was the primary source of state finance. The distribution of Idrisid settlements within a number of micro-regional settlement systems was meant to maximize the amount of agricultural surplus levied from hinterland communities. The Idrisid settlement system was multitiered and hierarchical. It was composed of the state capital (Fez), a number of provincial capitals (e.g., al-Basra), and several smaller towns and villages.; During subsequent dynastic periods, sub-Saharan gold became the primary source of state finance. The concern to control, protect, and facilitate long-distance gold trade gave rise to a “primate” settlement system with two anomalously large cities (the dynastic capitals of Fez and Marrakech)—both major hubs for long-distance gold trade—and a number of urban centers of much smaller size.; Local exchange and community interaction between Idrisid provincial capitals and their hinterland communities is a central, yet poorly understood, aspect of the Idrisid political economy. Using instrumental neutron activation analysis, this study provides the first archaeological evidence in this regard. The results of instrumental neutron activation analysis indicate that the city was the major production and distribution center of pottery vessels in the region. |
