VOLUBILIS 3: THE NEW OCCUPANTS

Note: Monday's blog is being posted one day early this week, due to an upcoming trip.

The Romanized Berbers may have abandoned Volubilis over time. In all probability, the upper class went first and the lower class stayed on for want of anyplace else to go. If we can imagine the usual process of decay, the aqueduct, houses, and temple would have begun to crumble without anyone being able to pay for their maintenance. Roofs would collapse, leaving columns standing to hold up nothing but the sky and . . . storks.
Yes, storks. A symbol of good luck in many places including Morocco, the storks welcomed any high platform on which to build their massive nests. Built wide and shallow, constructed of sticks, dried leaves, and other debris; these nests also provide a foundation for smaller birds. Swallows and sparrows both build their tinier nests inside the stork nest. By the time Jade and her mother would have come to visit, these birds would have been some of the few residents left in the city. NEXT WEEK: OLIVE GARDENS