Archaeological research at Oued Beht in northwestern Morocco has uncovered a previously unknown chapter in the region's history, including the discovery of a substantial built structure dating back to the second millennium BC. This structure suggests that communities in northwestern Africa were actively shaping their environment and engaging in broader networks of interaction across the Mediterranean world during this period. The site had previously revealed what may be the earliest and largest agricultural complex in Africa outside the Nile Valley, dating to around 5,400–4,900 years ago. New excavations in 2023 uncovered the earliest known large-scale defensive construction in North Africa beyond the Nile Valley, dating to 4,000–3,500 years ago. The purpose of these wall-like structures is not fully clear, but they may have been built in response to competition over land, resources, or control of movement through the landscape, rather than to defend against invaders. These findings suggest that communities in the region were more complex and organized than previously believed. The ridge of Oued Beht became a significant location again during the medieval period, between the 11th and 13th centuries AD. During this time, the defensive structure was rebuilt, a small settlement or farm was established on a nearby hilltop, and a cemetery was created between these two areas. These medieval remains offer rare insights into rural life during both prehistoric and medieval times. In contrast to better-understood regions like Iberia in southwestern Europe or Athens in the eastern Mediterranean, the later prehistory of North Africa’s Maghreb region has remained poorly understood. Excavations at Oued Beht have revealed a large area of human activity covering at least 10 hectares (25 acres), with the earliest major phase dating to the mid-fourth and early third millennia BC, during the Final Neolithic period. Environmental evidence from plant and animal remains indicates that the people at Oued Beht were a farming community cultivating crops like barley and wheat, using wild plants, and raising livestock. The site was also a center for craft production, with thousands of polished stone axes and other tools, as well as finely made pottery, some decorated with painted patterns. It is still uncertain whether the prehistoric Oued Beht was a permanent village, a seasonal center, or something else, but it was clearly a major focus in the landscape of northwestern Morocco. The presence of ancient earthworks and walls had been noted since the 1930s, with French archaeologist Armand Ruhlmann describing a defensive configuration known as an éperon barré (barred spur). New excavations have clarified the existence of a multiphase ditch, rampart, and wall built across a narrow section of the Oued Beht ridge, protecting the southern tip of the ridge. Radiocarbon dating of materials associated with these structures places their original construction during the Bronze Age, making it the earliest confirmed defensive construction in North Africa outside of Egypt. This discovery raises important questions about the society that built it, suggesting a community capable of organizing complex construction projects. The shift in activity from the northern, more open areas of the site to the narrower, more defensible southern ridge may reflect a change in settlement strategies. These findings highlight how much remains to be learned about the deep history of North Africa and suggest that the Maghreb was not isolated but actively participating in broader Mediterranean networks. As research continues, Oued Beht may become key to understanding how societies in the region evolved from early farming communities to the medieval rural world.