Archaeologists identify previously unknown Neolithic society in Morocco

Archaeologists have identified remnants of a previously unknown Neolithic society that lived in the Maghreb 5,000 years ago, according to a report in Antiquity. 

The artifacts were found in Oued Beht, roughly 100 kilometers southeast of Rabat. The site was originally discovered in the 1930s but British, Italian and Moroccan archaeologists recently decided to take a closer look, according to Cosmos Magazine.

The region is well known for its artifacts from societies during the Iron Age (1200 BC to 550 BC) and Islamic periods (8^th to 1th century) but there hasn’t been much evidence of human activity between 4000 BC and 1000 BC until now. 

“For over 30 years I have been convinced that Mediterranean archaeology has been missing something fundamental in later prehistoric north Africa,” said Cyprian Broodbank, a professor at the University of Cambridge. “Now, at last, we know that was right.” 

The team reportedly discovered domesticated plant and animal remains as well as pottery and lithics, all dating to the Final Neolithic period. It is believed the site was a large-scale farming settlement similar to ones found in Spain and Portugal. 

 “Oued Beht now affirms the central role of the Maghreb in the emergence of both Mediterranean and wider African societies," the authors stated