Major archaeological discovery reveals 5,000-year-old agricultural site in Morocco

Hibapress

In the province of Khemisset, Morocco, a team of researchers made an impressive discovery: an agricultural site dating back 5,000 years. This find, which is one of the oldest on the African continent outside the Nile, reveals previously unpublished aspects of the history of the first agricultural societies of North Africa.

The excavations carried out on the Oued Beht site have shed light on an organized society, practicing agriculture and livestock. Remains of domestic animals, stone tools, as well as remarkable ceramics were found on site, testifying to the wealth of this civilization. These objects are of great value to specialists, because they provide valuable information on the evolution of agriculture in the region.

The publication of this research in the scientific journal Antiquity, led by Moroccan, British and Italian experts, underlines the importance of this discovery for world archaeology. The team, made up of Youssef Bokbot of the National Institute of Archeology and Heritage Sciences (INSAP), Cyprian Broodbank of the University of Cambridge and Giulio Lucarini of the National Research Council of Italy, hopes that these results will allow us to better understand the crucial role of the Maghreb in the emergence of ancient Mediterranean societies.

In addition to ceramics, researchers also discovered an impressive quantity of stone tools, more than 3,000 in total, as well as storage pits, suggesting a well-organized agricultural lifestyle. This discovery highlights a long-ignored chapter of North African prehistory and repositions the Maghreb as a key area in the evolution of civilizations in the Mediterranean basin.

This agricultural complex, comparable to other major sites of Antiquity, fills a gap in the study of regional archeology between 4000 and 1000 BCE, and opens new perspectives on the importance of exchanges and connections between societies on both shores of the Mediterranean.