Ancient defensive system unearthed in Morocco’s Oued Beht
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An international team of archaeologists working in Khemisset province, Morocco, discovered the oldest large-scale defensive system in Africa outside the Nile Valley, dating back 3,500 to 4,000 years.
The team, led by Youssef Bokbot, began work at the Oued Beht site in 2005, initially investigating a cave before expanding to the larger surrounding area. Local workers guided the researchers to the site, pointing out abundant archaeological material.
Excavations revealed an agricultural village from the Late Neolithic period that later developed into a fortified settlement during the Bronze Age. The inhabitants constructed a large ditch, an earthen rampart reaching six meters high, and eventually a stone wall to protect themselves. Radiocarbon dating of organic material from grain silos established the timeline of occupation over five millennia. Bokbot explains that the emergence of metallurgy around 2,400 BC created competition for resources and prompted the need for fortifications.
The village at Oued Beht grew to cover 12 hectares, housing over 1,000 people, a population size previously unexpected for the region. The site’s inhabitants traded extensively, exchanging polished axes and pottery with communities as far away as Seville, Spain, and controlling a valuable salt mine that contributed to their wealth. Researchers believe the site demonstrates a sophisticated and self-sufficient society that existed independently of outside influence, challenging previous colonial-era assumptions.
