Origin and Lifestyle of the Berbers of Morocco

Introduction

Prior to the invasion by the Arabs in the 7th century, Berber people were either Christians, Jews or Animists. An Animist believes that it is not only humans who have souls and spirits but that all plants, animals and even the land is spiritual, connecting us all to one another. After being conquered by the Arab nation the Berbers were forced to convert to Islam.

The Berbers have a long and ancient history, much of which has been overlooked because the ancient people had no written language. The first hint of their history came with the discovery of cave paintings. North African cave paintings as old as 12,000 years have been found in Tadrart Acacus, Libya. Many of the paintings depict farming activities and domestic animals. There are also paintings that have been found at Tassili n’Ajjer in southeastern Algeria.