Society & Culture

Previously Unknown Neolithic Society Discovered in Morocco

A newly discovered Neolithic farming society in Morocco reshapes understanding of Maghreb prehistory and its role in early Mediterranean cultural and economic interactions.

Source: phys.org | September 23, 2024

The Discovery

Recent archaeological fieldwork in Morocco has led to the discovery of a previously unknown Neolithic farming society dating to a poorly understood phase of northwest African prehistory.
The findings, reported by Broodbank et al. in the journal Antiquity, provide new insights into early agricultural communities beyond the traditionally emphasised Near Eastern and European regions.

Filling a Major Archaeological Gap

The research addresses a long-standing gap in archaeological knowledge of the Maghreb region (northwest Africa) between c. 4000 and 1000 BC.
This period witnessed major transformations across the Mediterranean, including the spread of farming, trade networks, and increasingly complex social organisation.

Until now, the Maghreb’s role during this phase had remained underexplored.

Evidence of a Farming Society

The excavated sites reveal material evidence associated with early agricultural practices, including storage pits and settlement features indicative of sedentary or semi-sedentary life.
These features point towards the emergence of a Neolithic economy based on farming, rather than purely hunting-gathering subsistence.

Connections Across the Mediterranean

A key finding of the study is the identification of contemporaneous sites in Iberia, across the Strait of Gibraltar, that display similar pit structures.
Additionally, archaeological finds such as ivory and ostrich eggs in Iberian contexts have long suggested African connections.

The new Moroccan evidence strengthens the argument for regular interaction between northwest Africa and southern Europe during the fourth millennium BC.

Re-evaluating the Role of the Maghreb

The study highlights that the Maghreb was not a peripheral zone, but rather an active participant in wider western Mediterranean developments.
It suggests that cultural exchanges, technological diffusion, and economic interactions flowed both ways across the Mediterranean, reshaping early complex societies.

Anthropological Significance

From the perspective of prehistoric archaeology, this discovery:
• Challenges Eurocentric models of Neolithic development
• Reinforces the importance of regional studies in reconstructing prehistory
• Demonstrates how farming, trade, and interaction networks contributed to social complexity

It underlines the need to integrate African archaeological data into broader narratives of Mediterranean prehistory.

Why This Matters for UPSC Aspirants

This discovery is important for understanding:
• The spread of Neolithic culture and farming
• Regional diversity in prehistoric development
• Interaction between Africa and Europe in early history
• Methodological principles of prehistoric archaeology

Relevant UPSC Anthropology PYQs