Recent archaeological discoveries at the Kach Kouch site in Morocco transform the understanding of ancient civilizations in North-West Africa. A team of young researchers from Morocco's National Institute of Archaeology carried out extensive excavations in 2021 and 2022, utilizing technology such as drones, differential GPS, and 3D models, as reported by The Independent.
The findings at Kach Kouch suggest that stable agricultural settlements existed on the African coast of the Mediterranean during the Bronze Age, more than 3,000 years ago. This was at the same time as societies such as the Mycenaean civilization flourished in the eastern Mediterranean. The discovery reveals a much richer and more complex history of the Maghreb than previously thought, indicating that the region was not an empty land before the arrival of the Phoenicians around 800 BCE.
Excavations and radiocarbon dating have revealed that the Kach Kouch settlement underwent three phases of occupation between 2200 and 600 BCE. The earliest documented remains (2200–2000 BCE) are scarce and consist of three undecorated pottery sherds, a flint flake, and a cow bone. The scarcity of materials and contexts in this phase could be due to erosion or a temporary occupation of the hill during this period.
In its second phase, after a period of abandonment, Kach Kouch was permanently occupied from 1300 BCE. The inhabitants, probably numbering no more than a hundred, dedicated themselves to agriculture and animal husbandry. They lived in circular dwellings built from wattle and daub, a technique that combines wooden poles, reeds, and mud. The inhabitants dug silos into the rock to store agricultural products. Analysis shows they cultivated wheat, barley, and legumes, and they raised cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs alongside their agricultural practices. They used grinding stones for cereal processing, flint tools, and decorated pottery.
The oldest known bronze object in North Africa (excluding Egypt) was documented at Kach Kouch; it is probably a scrap metal fragment removed after casting in a mold, as reported by The Independent. Additionally, the oldest known copper alloy artifact in North Africa was recorded.
Between the 8th and 7th centuries BCE, during the so-called Mauretanian period, the inhabitants maintained the same material culture, architecture, and economy as in the previous phase. Interactions with Phoenician communities that were starting to settle in nearby sites, such as Lixus, brought new cultural practices to Kach Kouch. Circular dwellings coexisted with square ones made of stone and wattle and daub, combining Phoenician and local construction techniques. New crops began to be cultivated, such as grapes and olives. Among the new materials were wheel-made Phoenician ceramics, such as amphorae and plates, and the use of iron objects.
Around 600 BCE, Kach Kouch was peacefully abandoned, possibly due to social and economic changes. Its inhabitants likely moved to other nearby settlements. The cultural continuity and evolution documented at Kach Kouch suggest that these populations are direct ancestors of the Mauritanian peoples of northwestern Africa.
Burials at the site suggest there were no clear signs of hierarchy among the inhabitants. It is unclear whether the Maghreb populations in the Bronze Age lived in tribes, as would later occur during the Mauretanian period. The Bronze Age populations at Kach Kouch were probably organized as families. The inhabitants may have spoken a language similar to Amazigh, the indigenous North African language, which became a written language with the adoption of the Phoenician alphabet.
"Our discovery, led by a team of young researchers from the National Institute of Archaeology of Morocco, expands our knowledge of the recent prehistory of North Africa. It also redefines our understanding of the connections between the Maghreb and the rest of the Mediterranean in antiquity," said Hamza Benattia, the director of the Kach Kouch archaeological program, according to Enikos. He added: "Our findings challenge traditional narratives, many of which have been influenced by colonial perceptions that presented the Maghreb as a barren and isolated land, until it was 'civilized' by foreign peoples.'"
In addition to the discoveries at Kach Kouch, earlier findings at the Jebel Irhoud site in Morocco have also contributed to the understanding of human evolution in Africa. Fossils were first unearthed at Jebel Irhoud in the 1960s and were initially estimated to be around 40,000 years old. However, more recent excavations, led by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, utilized dating techniques, according to The Express. The dating techniques determined that the Jebel Irhoud fossils were even older than previously thought.
Using thermoluminescence dating, scientists estimated the stone tools from the Jebel Irhoud site to be between 350,000 and 280,000 years old. The revised age of the fossil tooth now falls within a range of approximately 318,000 to 254,000 years. The findings indicate that the Jebel Irhoud specimens share strong similarities with modern Homo sapiens in facial characteristics.
"These finds currently represent the oldest association of probable early members of the Homo sapiens lineage and Middle Stone Age tools. They shift Morocco from a supposed backwater in the evolution of our species to a prominent position," explained Professor Chris Stringer, a human origins expert at the Natural History Museum, as reported by The Express. "The Irhoud fossils display some primitive features such as a longer, lower braincase, strong browridges, and a large face and teeth, as one might expect at around 300,000 years old. Yet the delicate cheekbones and retracted face look more modern, as do details of the skulls and teeth, and the shape of the jawbones," he elaborated.
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