Archaeological culture · c. 9000–5400 BCE
Capsian culture
Hunter-gatherers of inland Tunisia and eastern Algeria, named after the town of Gafsa (Latin Capsa). At the time the Maghreb was an open savanna.
Capsian people hunted aurochs, hartebeest and hares and ate many land snails. They made tiny stone tools (microliths), turned ostrich eggshells into beads and containers, and wore seashell necklaces. They are among the best-known foragers of early North Africa.
See Capsian culture on the map in 9000 BCE
- On the map
- 9000–5400 BCE
How we know
No writing existed; it is known from stone tools, food remains and radiocarbon dates at sites in Tunisia and Algeria.