UB researcher leads discovery of first Bronze Age settlement in the Maghreb

Kach Kouch is located ten kilometres from the present-day coast, near the Strait of Gibraltar, and thirty kilometres southeast of Tétouan. 

The majority of documented Bronze Age settlements have been found in Europe. Despite its close geographical location, the Maghreb has long been excluded from these historical accounts and mistakenly portrayed as an uninhabited region until the Phoenicians arrived around 800 BC. However, a new study led by Hamza Benattia Melgarejo of the University of Barcelona has identified the first known Bronze Age settlement in the Maghreb, dating back to before the Phoenician era. This groundbreaking discovery holds major significance for the historical understanding of both Africa and the Mediterranean.

According to findings published in Antiquity, excavations at Kach Kouch in northwestern Morocco have uncovered evidence of human settlement dating from 2200 to 600 BC. This makes it the earliest known site from this time period in Mediterranean Africa, excluding Egypt.

An international team of researchers, led by Hamza Benattia Melgarejo—a PhD candidate at the University of Barcelona’s Faculty of Geography and History and a member of the Classical and Protohistoric Archaeology Research Group—has been investigating the prehistoric site. Kach Kouch spans roughly one hectare near the Lau River, situated about ten kilometers from the modern coastline near the Strait of Gibraltar and approximately thirty kilometers southeast of Tétouan.

The excavations have revealed multiple periods of occupation. The earliest, dating between 2200 and 2000 BC, is limited in evidence but considered important. It indicates an early settlement phase that coincides with the Bronze Age transition seen in nearby Iberia.

The second phase, spanning from 1300 to 900 BC, marks a dynamic era in Kach Kouch’s history. During this time, a stable farming community emerged, representing the earliest clear evidence of a sedentary lifestyle in the Maghreb prior to the arrival of the Phoenicians. Remains of wooden and mud-brick structures, rock-cut storage silos, and grinding stones indicate a flourishing agricultural economy centered on barley and wheat cultivation, alongside the domestication of sheep, goats, and cattle.

The third phase, dating from 800 to 600 BC, highlights the community’s resilience and ability to adapt. In this period, cultural influences from the eastern Mediterranean began to appear, including wheel-thrown pottery, iron tools, and new building techniques involving stone. This blending of indigenous and external traditions reflects Kach Kouch’s active engagement in broader Mediterranean trade and cultural exchange networks.

“Kach Kouch stands out as one of the earliest thoroughly documented instances of sustained settlement in the Maghreb, offering a narrative that challenges long-held assumptions,” says Benattia. “It highlights the presence of vibrant, connected local communities rather than isolated ones. The findings from this site contribute to addressing historical misconceptions and demonstrate that the Maghreb played an active role in the Mediterranean's social, cultural, and economic networks,” the UB researcher adds.