Archaeologists have uncovered stone tools and ancient jewelry estimated to be more than 150,000 years old during new excavations at Morocco’s Bizmoune Cave near Essaouira. The discovery is offering researchers critical clues about how early humans lived, hunted, and adapted to their environment during the Middle Stone Age.
The findings, announced by the National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage, confirm the site’s growing importance in the study of early human development in North Africa.
The institute, which operates under the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, is leading the latest phase of excavations at Bizmoune Cave. This effort aims to better understand the evolution of humans in the region and the connections between prehistoric communities across different landscapes.
Fossils and plant remains offer clues on ancient life
SNRT News reported that the tools and ornaments were found in soil layers that also contained fossils of extinct animals.
These include bones of the Atlas lion, believed to have lived around 110,000 years ago, along with remains of rhinoceroses, ancient cattle, horses, antelopes, gazelles and ostrich eggs dating back more than 150,000 years. Researchers also identified traces of plants that early humans may have consumed.
🔍 150,000-year-old tools and jewelry found in Morocco’s Bizmoun Cave reveal new clues about early human life in North Africa. A major step in understanding our past.#Archaeology #Morocco #BizmounCave #StoneAge #HumanHistory #FossilFinds pic.twitter.com/kFXvhPud6X
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) November 19, 2025
Work at the cave resumed on November 3 and will continue through December 3. The project is a joint effort involving Moroccan experts and international researchers from the United States and France.
The team is focused on studying layers from the Middle Stone Age, where previous excavations uncovered what may be among the oldest known pieces of jewelry ever found.
International team explores tools in Morocco’s Bizmoune Cave
Abdeljalil Bouzouggar, director of the National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage, said this phase of work builds on years of earlier research at the site. He added that recent efforts have also led to the discovery of new archaeological locations in the surrounding mountains, including Jbel El Hadid and Jbel Korati.
The research team includes Bouzouggar, Professor Steven Kuhn of the University of Arizona, and Dr. Philippe Fernandez of Aix-Marseille University. Together, they have been studying the region’s role as a historic link between the Mediterranean and the Sahara.
More than 300 archaeological sites have been recorded in the Essaouira region to date. Experts say Morocco’s Bizmoune Cave and its surroundings remain central to piecing together the timeline of early human history on the African continent.
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