Oued Beht Archaeological Project
Acronym: OBAP
Description
The main aim of OBAP is the investigation of Oued Beht, a significant open-air site located in northwestern Morocco. Oued Beht has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of late prehistoric Maghreb, particularly in relation to the emergence of social complexity in North Africa and the western Mediterranean, as well as the interconnections between these key regions.
The site dates from the late 4th to the 3rd millennium BC, and early investigations indicate an area of about 10 hectares, with numerous deep pit features, possibly used as storage facilities, alongside an abundance of polished axes, grinding tools, chipped stone, and ceramic vessels. These features are unparalleled across North Africa, west of the Nile Valley. Oued Beht promises to offer a completely new perspective on socio-cultural developments in the western Maghreb during later prehistory.
Project information
- Italian project leader: CNR ISPC and ISMEO
- Partners: Institut National des Sciences des l’Archéologie et du Patrimoine (INSAP), Rabat, Morocco; McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, UK
- ISPC Scientific coordinator: Giulio Lucarini
- Involved Countries: Italy – Morocco – United Kingdom
- Site/Area/Case study: Oued Beht open-air site, Aït Siberne, Khemisset province
- Status: ongoing
- Funding: MAECI (2021-2024); MUR via ISMEO (2021-2024); CNR (FOE 2023); Bilateral Project Italy-Morocco ‘WestMagReS’ (2024-2025); McDonald Institute for Archaeological Reserch, University of Cambridge (2022-2024); British Institute for Libyan & Northern African Studies (2022)
- News CNR ISPC 23/12/2022 →
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