New Discovery Unveils Stone Age Culture in Morocco
Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery in Oued Beht, located in northern Morocco. Unveiling the remains of an unknown Neolithic culture, this society from 3400 to 2900 BC created the earliest and largest agricultural complex ever found beyond the Nile. The relics left behind not only shed light on their way of life but also hint at possible connections to the Iberian Peninsula.
Historical Significance of North Africa
The northwestern region of Africa has been a hub for cultural developments throughout history. Dating back to around 300,000 years ago, some of the earliest Homo sapiens inhabited this area. Later on, the Maghreb region played a crucial role as an ancient territory of the Carthaginians and Vandals, followed by becoming a center of Islamic culture. However, there has been a significant archaeological gap from 4000 to 1000 BC.
Unveiling a New Stone Age Society
In a groundbreaking discovery, archaeologists led by Cyprian Broodbank from the University of Cambridge have unearthed settlement relics from this mysterious period in northern Morocco. Located in Oued Beht, approximately two hours northeast of the capital Rabat, is an expansive area of nearly 20 hectares filled with Neolithic artifacts, indicating human occupation and agricultural activities from 3400 to 2900 BC.
The size of the site is remarkable for its time, comparable to the early Bronze Age city of Troy, as reported by the archaeologists. Oued Beht stands as the earliest and largest agricultural complex ever discovered west of the Nile. Broodbank’s long-held belief has been validated by this find: „For over thirty years, I have been convinced that Mediterranean archaeology has missed something fundamental in late prehistoric North Africa. Now we finally know that was correct, and we can begin to think in new directions.“
Among the discoveries on the site were 19,626 relics, including pottery fragments, stone shards, and 50 axes likely crafted locally. Evidence of agriculture was evident through preserved grinding tools and characteristic pits, which probably served as storage silos for the inhabitants.
Broodbank and his team found remnants of barley in the pits, along with lesser amounts of wheat, peas, olives, and pistachios. Analysis of unearthed animal bones revealed that the people of Oued Beht also raised and slaughtered domesticated animals such as goats, sheep, cattle, and pigs.
Connections to the Iberian Peninsula
Interestingly, the lifestyle of the inhabitants of Oued Beht shares some similarities with contemporaneous findings from the southern Iberian Peninsula. Archaeologists in that region have also uncovered silo-like storage pits and certain designs of everyday objects that overlap with those at Oued Beht, such as specific flint sickle elements or pottery adorned with red-brown slip.
How did these similarities come about? While the Oued Beht site is currently 100 kilometers from the coast, access to the sea was likely much closer 5000 years ago. This would have facilitated maritime crossings and cultural exchanges between peoples, as explained by the archaeologists. They emphasize the importance of viewing Oued Beht within a broader context of shared development and connections between peoples on both sides of the Mediterranean-Atlantic gateway during the later 4th and 3rd millennia BC.
Past discoveries of ivory and ostrich egg artifacts on the Iberian Peninsula had already hinted at such cultural movements between North West Africa and Southern Europe, further solidifying the interconnectedness of ancient societies.
