24/06/2025
The 2025 Antiquity Prize, established by the prestigious archaeological journal Antiquity, has been awarded to the study of the Oued Beht site in Morocco. This site has yielded significant evidence of the oldest and most extensive agricultural complex known in Africa outside the Nile Valley, dating from 3400 to 2900 BCE. The discovery underscores the key role of North Africa—particularly the Maghreb—in the late prehistory of the Mediterranean.The findings are the result of the Oued Beht Archaeological Project (OBAP), an international and multidisciplinary initiative launched in 2021 under a scientific cooperation programme involving the Institut National des Sciences de l’Archéologie et du Patrimoine (INSAP), the Institute of Heritage Science of the Italian National Research Council (CNR-ISPC), the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, and the International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies (ISMEO). On the Italian side, the project is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), the Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR), and the National Research Council of Italy (CNR).
The Antiquity Prize, established in 1994, is awarded annually to the best article published in the journal over the previous year.
The international team is co-directed by CNR archaeologist Giulio Lucarini, who commented:
“We are deeply proud of this award, which fully acknowledges the scope of the discovery and the significance of our research at Oued Beht. Being recognised by Antiquity—one of the most authoritative international journals in the field of archaeology—confirms the scientific value of our work and highlights the crucial role of the Maghreb in Mediterranean prehistory. This prestigious award complements the recognition by Ancient Near East Today, which listed Oued Beht among the ten most important archaeological discoveries of 2024 in the Mediterranean region. The discovery of what is currently the oldest and largest known agricultural complex in Africa outside the Nile Valley opens up new and compelling perspectives on the emergence of early complex societies in North Africa. With its Mediterranean environment, proximity to the Sahara, and strategic position controlling the shortest maritime route between Africa and Europe, the Maghreb has long been a crossroads of cultural interaction and transcontinental exchange. Our project demonstrates that international scientific cooperation not only fosters the production of shared knowledge and more inclusive views of the past, but also serves as a tangible tool for dialogue and peace. Working together across borders enables us to better understand our common history and to build bridges rather than walls”.
Per informazioni:
Giulio Lucarini
CNR -Istituto di scienze del patrimonio culturale
giulio.lucarini@cnr.it
Ufficio stampa:
Sandra Fiore
CNR -Unità Ufficio stampa
sandra.fiore@cnr.it
Responsabile Unità Ufficio stampa:
Emanuele Guerrini
emanuele.guerrini@cnr.it
ufficiostampa@cnr.it
06 4993 3383
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