Moments in a longer story.

These dates describe the place you can learn about here. They are not a company timeline for Apollonaut.

1. 8th century BC

   A Phoenician foundation

   Phoenicians settle on the hill of Tchoummich above the Loukkos, over an earlier local settlement.

2. Punic period

   Trade in fish

   Amphorae for fish products show that Lixus is already exporting its catch.

3. 1st century BC

   Salting factories

   The fish-salting factories in the lower town are in use; they are later enlarged under Rome.

4. 25 BC–AD 40

   A Mauretanian city

   Lixus flourishes under the Mauretanian kings Juba II and his son Ptolemy.

5. AD 40

   The end of a kingdom

   Ptolemy is killed on the orders of Caligula, and Rome annexes Mauretania.

6. c. AD 50

   A Roman colony

   Under the emperor Claudius, Lixus becomes a Roman colony.

7. Late 1st century AD

   Amphitheatre and baths

   The amphitheatre and public baths are built in the second half of the century.

8. 4th century

   A smaller city

   The city contracts behind a new wall.

9. c. 430

   The industry ends

   Fish salting at Lixus comes to an end.

10. 12th–14th centuries

    A medieval town

    Pottery from these centuries shows a settled community on the hill, which had its own mosque.

11. 14th century

    Abandoned

    The town is abandoned as Larache grows on the other side of the river.

12. 1948

    Excavations begin

    Archaeological excavations begin on the site.

13. 1995

    A World Heritage candidate

    Lixus is added to UNESCO’s Tentative List for World Heritage.

14. 2020

    A mosaic restored

    The Ocean mosaic in the baths is uncovered and restored in place.

A timeline is a beginning. The longer history introduces the people and places; the sources below, checked on 8 November 2026, provide further context.

• Read the History page→
• Explore heritage→