An international team of archaeologists has uncovered three ancient cemeteries on Morocco’s Tangier Peninsula, shedding new light on prehistoric funerary practices in a region that has long remained understudied. One of the discoveries, a 4,000-year-old burial site, offers rare insight into ancient funerary practices.
Evidence of Cist Burials and Labor-Intensive Practices
The excavations, carried out by researchers from the University of Barcelona, the University of Castilla-La Mancha, and Morocco’s National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage, revealed cist burials—stone-lined graves carved into bedrock. These structures were likely time-consuming to create, requiring considerable human effort and basic tools to hollow out the stone and cap the graves with stone slabs.
Radiocarbon analysis of human remains from one of these graves places the burial at around 2000 BCE. This is the first application of such dating techniques on cist burials in this part of North Africa, marking a significant step forward in understanding the region’s prehistoric timeline.
Megalithic Structures and Painted Stones
In addition to the burials, the team identified numerous standing stones—some over 2.5 meters tall—within the cemeteries. These megaliths may have served multiple purposes, from marking territory to acting as ceremonial gathering spots. Their presence suggests the existence of organized communities with complex social or spiritual systems.
Prehistoric Rock Art in Hidden Shelters
Nearby, archaeologists found several rock shelters featuring ancient paintings. These artworks feature geometric shapes such as squares, lines, and dots. Some shelters also display abstract humanoid figures that may represent deities or symbolic forms. The team found cup marks—small, round depressions in stone—arranged in patterns like circles and parallel lines.
One striking motif shows squares filled with dots and lines. Researchers suggest these may depict human figures, possibly with feminine traits.
Connections Across the Prehistoric Mediterranean
The team observed similar artistic styles in the Sahara and southern Iberia, suggesting cultural links or shared ritual traditions across the prehistoric Mediterranean region.These discoveries suggest that the Tangier Peninsula played a more prominent role in ancient cultural networks than previously understood.
A Long-Neglected Region Comes to Light
Situated just south of the Strait of Gibraltar, the Tangier Peninsula has rarely been the focus of detailed archaeological investigation. The recent findings help fill a major gap in the understanding of North Africa’s later prehistoric period, especially in terms of burial and ritual practices west of Egypt.
The research has been published in the African Archaeological Review, and researchers hope it will lead to further exploration of this little-known Mediterranean frontier.
