Characteristics of the North African Neolithic

Abstract

The North African Neolithic is the subject of long debates among specialists in the Mediterranean Neolithic, and has remained relatively understudied due to the primary focus on Neolithization in the Sahara and the characteristics of acculturation in other areas. A series of major works undertaken by French researchers and enthusiasts since 1868 had allowed, as our knowledge expanded, to add pieces to the Neolithic horizon puzzle, and to develop a global vision of the Neolithic economy and cultural diversity by studying the trajectories of their diffusion. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the main research results obtained over the last century by suggesting a systematization of the Neolithic in North Africa, categorizing the various Neolithic traditions present in the north-western part of the African continent (Mediterranean Neolithic, Neolithic of Capsian tradition and Saharo-Sudanese Neolithic), outlining the main characteristics of each Neolithic tradition.

Keywords

• archaeology
• neolithic
• territorial groups
• north africa