The Romans interacted with and later conquered parts of Mauretania, an early state that covered modern Morocco, western Algeria, and the Spanish cities Ceuta and Melilla during the classical period. The people of the region were noted in Classical literature as Mauri, which was subsequently rendered as Moors in English.
Is there an answer to this question (If it cannot be answered, say "unanswerable"): During what period did Mauretania exist?
the classical period.