Discovery of previously unknown Neolithic society wins Antiquity Prize

Aerial photograph of the Oued Beht ridge and river, highlighted in colour | Credit: Toby Wilkinson

A multi-disciplinary archaeological survey at the site of Oued Beht, Morocco, revealing a previously unknown 3400–2900 BC farming society, has been awarded the annual Antiquity prize.

The Antiquity prize was created in 1994 by Editor Christopher Chippindale and the Antiquity Editorial Board in recognition of the fact that research funding was becoming increasingly competitive, the time to write difficult to find, and really good writing is ‘as rare and precious as ever’. They created the prize to honour and support the author(s) of the best contribution to each volume of Antiquity.

The collaborative, multidisciplinary archaeological fieldwork was carried out at Oued Beht, Morocco by Youssef Bokbot (INSAP), Cyprian Broodbank (Cambridge University), and Giulio Lucarini (CNR-ISPC and ISMEO).

‘For over thirty years I have been convinced that Mediterranean archaeology has been missing something fundamental in later prehistoric north Africa. Now, at last, we know that was right, and we can begin to think in new ways that acknowledge the dynamic contribution of Africans to the emergence and interactions of early Mediterranean societies.'
Prof Cyprian Broodbank

To find out more about the research, read the story released in September 2024. The paper is published Open Access and is available to read for free.

Published 16 July 2025

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