For decades, Carthage has been depicted as a Phoenician colony—founded and shaped by settlers from the ancient Levant. This narrative has long dominated historical and academic discourse. But a new genetic study is now rewriting that story.
Recently published in the prestigious journal Nature, the study confirms that Carthage—and many cities once labeled “Phoenician colonies”—were in fact indigenous settlements, primarily Amazigh, Numidian, and Libyan in origin. Conducted by a team of scientists from Harvard University and Germany’s Max Planck Institute, the research analyzed ancient DNA from the remains of 210 individuals across 14 archaeological sites—spanning Lebanon, Tunisia, Spain, Sicily, Sardinia, and Ibiza—the study found that Phoenician settlers did not consistently mix with the local populations they encountered.
The vast majority of inhabitants were local North Africans. While Phoenician traders did exist within these cities, they were a small minority. This breakthrough aligns with what I have personally advocated for over 35 years—challenging the colonial narrative that erased the indigenous presence and agency in the region.
Today, genetics have validated what archaeology and critical historical analysis have long pointed to: Carthage was not a Phoenician outpost, but a complex and diverse North African city rooted in the Amazigh and Numidian world. Its population included people from as far as Cyprus, Anatolia, and Greece, but the foundation remained firmly indigenous.
This discovery will inevitably push historians to reconsider and rewrite the history of North Africa—finally restoring the central role of its native peoples in shaping one of the ancient world’s most influential civilizations.
