A millennia-old agricultural society in Morocco has been discovered at a long-unexplored site.
According to a study published in the journal Antiquity on July 31, 2024, the Oued Beit ruins in Morocco were first discovered in the 1930s.
The site remained largely untouched for many years after it was first discovered.
The ruins of Oued Bet near Rabat have been investigated by archaeologists who have found much evidence that the area was an ancient agricultural society. (Arterra/Marica van der Meer/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Mom and son dig up ancient objects often found near cemeteries while gardening
2021 marks the start of new fieldwork carried out by the UK-Italy-Morocco Ouedbet Archaeological Project (OBAP). The findings showed strong evidence that the area was once used for agriculture.
The study dated the site from 3400 BC to 2900 BC, thanks to carbon dating of charcoal and seeds retrieved mainly from deep pits during excavations.
The site is “currently the earliest and largest agricultural complex in Africa beyond the Nile corridor,” the study notes.
Many artifacts were excavated from Ouedo Bet, including stone tools, axes, and pottery. (St. Petersburg)
Archaeologists discover multiple rock carvings of ancient board games from 4,000 years ago
Before this fieldwork, little was known about the people living in this area at the time.
“For more than 30 years, I have been convinced that Mediterranean archeology is missing something fundamental in late prehistoric North Africa,” Cyprien Broudbank of the University of Cambridge said, according to Morocco World News. ” he said. “Now, we finally know that we were right and can begin to think in new ways that acknowledge the dynamic contribution of Africans to the emergence and interaction of early Mediterranean societies.”
According to published research, pottery, crushed stone, axes, and microlithic tools (stone tools) were unearthed from the site. Additionally, excavations uncovered several “bell-shaped” pits and the carcasses of sheep, cows, and pigs.
The area investigated by archaeologists was an area that had not been explored before. (St. Petersburg)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Research has shown that this particular site has strong similarities with sites on the Iberian Peninsula of similar age, including the discovery of large numbers of African ivory and ostrich eggshells, demonstrating the connection between Iberians and Africa. It is said that it is showing.
“For more than a century, the last great unknown of late Mediterranean prehistory has been the role played by societies on the southern African coast of the Mediterranean west of Egypt,” the authors said in a press release from Newsweek magazine. said. “Our findings demonstrate that this gap is not due to a lack of major prehistoric activity, but rather to a relative lack of research and publication. and the central role of the Maghreb in the emergence of both the African society and the broader African society.”
