A team of researchers from the University of Barcelona and the National Institute of Archaeology in Morocco may have just rewritten history. Their recent discovery at the archaeological site of Kach-Kush challenges the long-held belief that the Maghreb was an empty land until the arrival of the Phoenicians from the Middle East around 800 B.C. The excavations revealed a much richer and more complex history of these lands.
The Maghreb refers to the northwestern part of Africa, stretching west of Egypt between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert.
Materials found during the excavations of the Kach-Kush hill indicate that, during the Bronze Age over 3,000 years ago, there were already established agricultural settlements along the Mediterranean coast of Africa. This was during the same period when societies like the Mycenaean civilization thrived in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The team’s findings have expanded our understanding of North Africa’s prehistory. They also reframe our understanding of ancient connections between the Maghreb and other parts of the Mediterranean, according to the Independent.
What Did the Scientists Discover?
The archaeological site of Kach-Kush was first identified in 1988 and excavated for the first time in 1992. At that time, researchers believed the site was inhabited between the 8th and 6th centuries B.C., based on the analysis of Phoenician pottery found there.
Recently, nearly 30 years after the settlement’s discovery, a new generation of archaeologists conducted two new excavation seasons. The researchers employed advanced technologies such as drones, differential GPS, and 3D modeling. The analysis of the findings helped reconstruct the ancient economic profile of the settlement and its natural environment.
Radiocarbon dating revealed that the Kach-Kush site experienced three phases of settlement between 2200 and 600 B.C.
The earliest documented remains (2200-2000 B.C.) were scarce, including three unpainted ceramic shards, a flint flake, and a cow bone. This modest collection of materials may have been due to erosion or temporary habitation of the hill during this period.
During the second phase, following a period of abandonment, Kach-Kush was continuously inhabited starting around 1300 B.C. The residents, likely numbering no more than a hundred, engaged in agriculture and livestock farming. They lived in round dwellings made of mud and clay materials.
Analysis showed that the ancient inhabitants cultivated wheat, barley, and legumes, as well as raised cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. They also used grinding stones for processing grains, flint tools, and decorated pottery. Additionally, the team documented the oldest known bronze artifact found in North Africa (excluding Egypt): a fragment of metal removed from a mold after casting.
Between the 8th and 7th centuries B.C., the residents of Kach-Kush maintained the same material culture, architecture, and economy. However, interactions with Phoenician communities that began settling in nearby areas introduced new cultural practices to the population.
For instance, round dwellings now coexisted with square ones made of stone and mud, coated with clay.
Moreover, the locals began cultivating new crops—grapes and olives. Evidence of new materials was found in artifacts such as Phoenician pottery, amphorae, plates, and iron objects.
By around 600 B.C., the population abandoned Kach-Kush, possibly due to social and economic changes. Its inhabitants likely moved to other nearby settlements.
For a long time, scholars depicted the Maghreb as a land that was empty and isolated until the arrival of the Phoenicians. As a result, it was largely absent from discussions about the later prehistory of the Mediterranean. The team’s new discovery is not only a breakthrough for archaeology; it also calls for a reevaluation of dominant historical narratives.