At Oued Beht, the oldest agricultural complex and the first fortification system in North Africa outside the Nile Valley are emerging from the ground. In this interview, archaeologist and research director Youssef Bokbot looks back on nearly two decades of unprecedented excavations. From the emergence of the first village communities in the Neolithic period to the construction of defensive walls during the Bronze Age, he explains the significance of a major discovery that challenges our understanding of Mediterranean history and reaffirms the pioneering role of indigenous populations.
