Before Hercules: The Forgotten Prehistory of Northwest Africa, ca. 3800– 500 BC

Northwest Africa has long been portrayed as passive and peripheral within broader narratives of exchange, mobility and transformation in later Mediterranean prehistory. Drawing on archaeological, radiocarbon and genetic data, this paper reconsiders the region between ca. 3800 and 500 BC as an active...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Benattia, Hamza
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:2445/228192
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/228192
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Magrib
Prehistòria
North Africa
Prehistory
id ES_c63d32f8a780feb56c8bef14deea4c0f
oai_identifier_str oai:recercat.cat:2445/228192
network_acronym_str ES
network_name_str España
repository_id_str
spelling Before Hercules: The Forgotten Prehistory of Northwest Africa, ca. 3800– 500 BCBenattia, HamzaMagribPrehistòriaNorth AfricaPrehistoryNorthwest Africa has long been portrayed as passive and peripheral within broader narratives of exchange, mobility and transformation in later Mediterranean prehistory. Drawing on archaeological, radiocarbon and genetic data, this paper reconsiders the region between ca. 3800 and 500 BC as an active and dynamic crossroads bridging the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Sahara. It traces long-term changes in the social landscape, settlement patterns, material culture, architecture and agricultural practices. From the emergence of large open-air farming settlements during the Final Neolithic (ca. 3800-2900 BC) to northwest Africa's integration into Atlantic Beaker exchange networks in the Copper Age (ca. 2900-2200 BC), the study challenges older diffusionist models by highlighting local agency and innovation. The Bronze Age (ca. 2200-800 BC) is shown to be characterised by a mosaic of burial traditions, metal use and mobility, while the Mauretanian 1 period (ca. 800-500 BC) witnessed sustained interactions with Phoenician communities. Yet rather than a narrative of cultural imposition, the evidence points to selective adaptation and hybridisation, revealing how local communities actively shaped the region's socioeconomic and cultural dynamics.Equinox Publishing2026202620252026info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion32 p.application/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/2445/228192Articles publicats en revistes (Història i Arqueologia)reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunyainstname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)InglésReproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1558/jma.34458Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology, 2025, vol. 38, num.1, p. 111-139https://doi.org/10.1558/jma.34458cc by-nc-nd (c) Benattia, Hamza, 2025https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:recercat.cat:2445/2281922026-05-29T05:05:01Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Before Hercules: The Forgotten Prehistory of Northwest Africa, ca. 3800– 500 BC
title Before Hercules: The Forgotten Prehistory of Northwest Africa, ca. 3800– 500 BC
spellingShingle Before Hercules: The Forgotten Prehistory of Northwest Africa, ca. 3800– 500 BC
Benattia, Hamza
Magrib
Prehistòria
North Africa
Prehistory
title_short Before Hercules: The Forgotten Prehistory of Northwest Africa, ca. 3800– 500 BC
title_full Before Hercules: The Forgotten Prehistory of Northwest Africa, ca. 3800– 500 BC
title_fullStr Before Hercules: The Forgotten Prehistory of Northwest Africa, ca. 3800– 500 BC
title_full_unstemmed Before Hercules: The Forgotten Prehistory of Northwest Africa, ca. 3800– 500 BC
title_sort Before Hercules: The Forgotten Prehistory of Northwest Africa, ca. 3800– 500 BC
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Benattia, Hamza
author Benattia, Hamza
author_facet Benattia, Hamza
author_role author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Magrib
Prehistòria
North Africa
Prehistory
topic Magrib
Prehistòria
North Africa
Prehistory
description Northwest Africa has long been portrayed as passive and peripheral within broader narratives of exchange, mobility and transformation in later Mediterranean prehistory. Drawing on archaeological, radiocarbon and genetic data, this paper reconsiders the region between ca. 3800 and 500 BC as an active and dynamic crossroads bridging the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Sahara. It traces long-term changes in the social landscape, settlement patterns, material culture, architecture and agricultural practices. From the emergence of large open-air farming settlements during the Final Neolithic (ca. 3800-2900 BC) to northwest Africa's integration into Atlantic Beaker exchange networks in the Copper Age (ca. 2900-2200 BC), the study challenges older diffusionist models by highlighting local agency and innovation. The Bronze Age (ca. 2200-800 BC) is shown to be characterised by a mosaic of burial traditions, metal use and mobility, while the Mauretanian 1 period (ca. 800-500 BC) witnessed sustained interactions with Phoenician communities. Yet rather than a narrative of cultural imposition, the evidence points to selective adaptation and hybridisation, revealing how local communities actively shaped the region's socioeconomic and cultural dynamics.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
2026
2026
2026
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/2445/228192
url https://hdl.handle.net/2445/228192
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Reproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1558/jma.34458
Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology, 2025, vol. 38, num.1, p. 111-139
https://doi.org/10.1558/jma.34458
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv cc by-nc-nd (c) Benattia, Hamza, 2025
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv cc by-nc-nd (c) Benattia, Hamza, 2025
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv 32 p.
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Equinox Publishing
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Equinox Publishing
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Articles publicats en revistes (Història i Arqueologia)
reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
instname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
instname_str Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
reponame_str Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
collection Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
_version_ 1869419056761667584
score 15,81155

Similares en LA Referencia