Locality · Informal digging on communal land; dealer sales
Kem Kem escarpment, Taouz
Errachidia Province, Drâa-Tafilalet, Morocco
The Kem Kem escarpment along the Algerian border south of Erfoud, around Taouz, Begaa and Aferdou N'Chaft, is where Moroccan diggers tunnel for Spinosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus teeth, Onchopristis rostral spines and crocodile material. The digs are informal and dangerous, the material is legal to buy with paperwork, and nearly everything is sold through Erfoud. Teeth are found isolated in channel lags, which is why 'complete jaws' from here deserve suspicion.
| Country | Morocco |
|---|---|
| State / province | Drâa-Tafilalet |
| County | Errachidia Province |
| Land manager / status | Communal land near the Algerian border; military zone in places |
| Access | With local guides from Erfoud or Rissani; the border zone is restricted |
| Formations | Kem Kem Group |
| What is found | Spinosaurus, Carcharodontosaurus, Onchopristis, Mawsonia, Deltadromeus, crocodile and pterosaur teeth |
Rules
Local diggers tunnel into the escarpment for teeth and bone; buying from them or from Erfoud dealers is the normal route, and export needs dealer paperwork. Parts of the area are a military border zone; do not wander without a guide. Museums scrutinise Kem Kem vertebrates for provenance.
Source: https://www.aaps.net/ethics.htm (checked 2026-09-16).
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Kem Kem escarpment, Taouz" (Locality). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19. https://stratum.black/study/localities/kem-kem-escarpment-taouz. Accessed 2026-09-20.
@misc{stratum-kem-kem-escarpment-taouz,
title = {Kem Kem escarpment, Taouz},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/localities/kem-kem-escarpment-taouz}},
year = {2026},
note = {Locality article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19; sources: stratum. Accessed 2026-09-20.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.