Reviving desert oases: The power of ancient knowledge

Portuguese archaeologist Maria da Conceição Lopes believes ancient knowledge can save modern desert communities facing climate challenges.

Speaking at Morocco’s International Congress on Oases and Date Palm, Lopes shared how archaeological work transformed a dying Portuguese village into a cultural destination attracting one million visitors annually.

On the sidelines of the event, Morocco World News sat with Lopes to understand how her approach could contribute to preserving oases heritage.

“Archaeological heritage can provide opportunities to develop regions facing economic difficulties and desertification processes,” the archaeologist stated.

Villages revived

In the 1980s, a Portuguese village faced abandonment after its mines closed. Archaeologists developed a project highlighting the area’s Islamic heritage, discovering that the local church had evolved from an ancient mosque.

“We worked on all this Islamic heritage and valued it, and we invited the community to participate,” Lopes noted. The village now hosts an Islamic festival drawing one million visitors yearly, despite having fewer than 1,000 residents.

Using heritage wisdom to solve modern problems

Lopes argues that ancient communities developed successful strategies for climate adaptation that remain relevant today. “We can learn from what our ancestors did to overcome all the problems of climate change,” she said, emphasizing that “archaeological knowledge can help us understand and decide on our future.”

The archaeologist stressed that modern people can learn from traditional craftsmanship and local knowledge systems, which she believes remain vital for oasis survival. Ancient communities that lived in oases developed sophisticated techniques for managing scarce water resources and maintaining agricultural productivity in harsh conditions.

“When we go to the oases, we see how important know-how is,” Lopes observed, adding that “it’s important to maintain the know-how, to develop it, to give conditions to artisans to stay.”

Having worked in southern Portugal’s increasingly arid regions, Lopes sees direct parallels with Morocco’s challenges. “We have the same problems concerning climate change and socio-economic issues,” she explained.

The researcher believes archaeological knowledge and heritage preservation can guide policy decisions as Mediterranean communities confront rapid environmental and social changes. “Archaeological knowledge, knowledge of heritage, of memory, of ancient legacies can help us understand and decide on our future,” Lopes concluded.

Her message resonates strongly in Morocco’s oasis regions, where traditional practices face pressure from modern development and climate change.