Overview

• The city of Oued Beht, dating from 3400 to 2900 BCE, is the earliest known large-scale farming settlement in Africa beyond the Nile Basin.
• Excavations revealed domesticated plant and animal remains, pottery, stone tools, and deep storage pits, indicating advanced agricultural practices.
• Evidence suggests extensive trade links with Iberian Peninsula settlements, including the exchange of ivory and ostrich eggs.
• Findings challenge previous assumptions about the Maghreb's prehistoric inactivity, showing its integral role in Mediterranean cultural developments.
• The study emphasizes the need to consider Oued Beht within a broader framework of interconnected Mediterranean and African societies.