Capsian culture brings art and innovation to North Africa’s savannas
Capsian culture flourished across what is now Tunisia and Algeria from roughly 9000 to 5400 B.C.E., back when the region was green savanna rather than desert. These hunter-gatherers left behind ostrich-eggshell beads, ochre-painted rock art, and vast mounds of snail shells. A 2025 Harvard DNA study of nine individuals confirmed their deep local roots, with later arrivals mixing in from across the Mediterranean.