Morocco: 5.000-Year-Old Civilization Unearthed
One of the most intriguing discoveries in African archaeology has been unearthed in Morocco: the forgotten civilization of Oued Beht, an ancient city dating back some 5.000 years.
This previously unknown city is shedding new light on the prehistoric civilizations of North Africa and their interactions with other cultures, including those of the Iberian Peninsula.
The discovery, published in the University of Cambridge journal, Antiquity, reshapes our understanding of early African civilizations and their role in the development of Mediterranean trade routes.
With artifacts that suggest a sophisticated and evolved civilization, this ancient Neolithic city in Morocco opens up new perspectives on the history of Africa and its importance in the global panorama of the time.
A City Lost in Time
The city of Oued Beht, located approximately 100 kilometers inland from the city of Rabat, Morocco, was one of the largest cities of its time in Africa, except for those in the Nile basin areas.
Its location, close to a river that flows into the Atlantic Ocean, made Oued Beht an important trading point, allowing the city to establish relations with other civilizations, including those on the Iberian Peninsula. Here, through meticulous excavations, the research team discovered traces of a highly sophisticated and organized society.
Among the most significant finds from Oued Beht, Morocco, are ceramics, stone tools, and remains of domesticated animals such as sheep, goats, and pigs. These elements indicate that the region's inhabitants were both herders and farmers, which allowed them to sustain a relatively large and stable population.
The Rediscovery of Oued Beht
The civilization of Oued Beht has been largely forgotten by history. Although some artifacts were discovered in the 1930s during earlier excavations in this region of Morocco, it was only recently that systematic archaeological research revealed the true importance of this site.
The most recent excavations have brought to light a vast collection of artifacts, including stone axes, pottery, and evidence of walled structures that indicate an advanced level of social organization.
Archaeologists believe the site was intensively used for a period of about 500 years, between 5.400 and 4.900 years ago. This chronology places Oued Beht as one of the main Neolithic urban centers in Africa, at a time when Mediterranean civilizations were flourishing.
Exchanges with the Iberian Peninsula
One of the most fascinating aspects of the discovery of Oued Beht is the evidence that this civilization maintained trade ties with the Iberian Peninsula, crossing the Strait of Gibraltar.
Archaeologists have found artifacts typical of other Neolithic civilizations and pits similar to those found in Spain. These pits were likely used for food storage or waste disposal, reinforcing the idea of a continuous exchange between present-day Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula.
Furthermore, items such as ivory and ostrich eggs, common in Oued Beht, have also been discovered in Iberian archaeological sites, suggesting active trade and the sharing of goods and ideas. This evidence reinforces the theory that, even in prehistoric times, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic were important routes for the exchange of goods and culture.
The Impact of Geography
Oued Beht's geographical location played a crucial role in the development of this ancient Moroccan civilization. Situated near a river, the city had direct access to the Atlantic, which would have facilitated the transport of goods and interaction with other coastal cultures.
The proximity to the Strait of Gibraltar would also have allowed frequent trade with the southern Iberian Peninsula and possibly other parts of the Mediterranean. However, Oued Beht's protection by the Atlas Mountains may have limited land-based interactions with other civilizations in the interior of Africa.
This setback did not prevent the city from flourishing as a cultural and economic center, with strong overseas ties. The presence of similar artifacts on both sides of the Mediterranean raises questions about the development of this civilization's nautical capabilities.
The Sustainability of Oued Beht
Although many artifacts indicative of an organized society have been found at Oued Beht, one of the most notable absences is the lack of specific harvesting tools.
This fact has raised questions among researchers, who consider the possibility that the harvests were done manually, without the use of sophisticated tools. However, the remains of domesticated animals suggest that livestock played a significant role in the local economy.
Furthermore, the existence of pits for food storage indicates that agricultural production was sufficiently robust to sustain the city's population for a long period of time, in situations of crisis or scarcity.
Other Neolithic Civilizations
The size and importance of Oued Beht place it alongside other great Neolithic cities in terms of scale and influence, such as Troy. At its height, the city was one of the largest in prehistoric Africa and possibly the largest outside the Nile basin.
The civilization was a distinctly African community, however, the cultural and commercial similarities with Iberian civilizations reinforce the idea that Oued Beht played a substantial role in shaping the social world of its time, having a central role in the Neolithic exchange networks that crossed the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.
Another important aspect of this discovery, made in Morocco, is that it challenges the traditional notion that the coastal areas of the Maghreb during this period were too arid to support large populations.
Professor Cyprian Broodbank of the University of Cambridge has been a critic of this theory for decades. In his latest study, he now presents concrete evidence that the region played a crucial role in the trade and cultural networks of the prehistoric Mediterranean, contradicting the idea of the area's isolation and infertility.
The Importance of Oued Beht
Researchers studying Oued Beht believe the city should be seen as part of a broader picture encompassing the interconnected cultures on both sides of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic during the fourth and third millennia BC.
This cultural and commercial interconnection between the shores of the Mediterranean suggests that Oued Beht was not an isolated civilization, but rather an active participant in the development of early exchange networks.
Oued Beht demonstrates that African civilizations, long before the rise of Pharaonic Egypt, already played a crucial role in the trade and cultural interactions that shaped the ancient world. This discovery highlights the importance of continuing to research the ancient history of North Africa, a region still largely unexplored but brimming with potential to reveal new chapters in world history.
Conclusion
This discovery, made in Morocco, proves that great African civilizations existed before the rise of superpowers, such as Pharaonic Egypt. By revealing a city with extensive commercial and cultural connections to the Mediterranean, this research proves that the development of the first complex societies in Africa was not limited to the Nile basin.
Another important aspect of this discovery is that it demonstrates that African civilizations of this period were not isolated or secondary to those of the Mediterranean. Indeed, the sophistication of trade and the diversity of artifacts found on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar indicate a civilization capable of navigating the Atlantic and establishing intercontinental relations.
The discovery of Oued Beht rethinks our assumptions about African influence on Mediterranean civilizations and the evolution of early trading societies. As further research is conducted, Oued Beht will likely continue to provide valuable insights into the complexity and interconnectedness of ancient Mediterranean civilizations.
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Picture: © 2024 Toby Wilkinson
