ons ▁in ▁the ▁yellow ▁och er . ▁ ▁Cont inu ing ▁towards ▁N egr ine , ▁the ▁veget ation ▁becomes ▁increasing ly ▁rare ▁and ▁the ▁ground ▁is ▁made ▁of ▁white ▁cl ay ▁and ▁p eb bles . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Pre histor ic ▁Early ▁hom ino id ▁foss ils ▁have ▁been ▁found ▁here . ▁Further , ▁Bir ▁El ▁A ter ▁is ▁the ▁arch ae ological ▁site ▁which ▁gave ▁its ▁name ▁to ▁the ▁A ter ian ▁culture ▁of ▁North ▁Africa ▁which ▁corresponds ▁roughly ▁to ▁the ▁late ▁Middle ▁Pale ol ith ic ▁and ▁early ▁Upper ▁Pale ol ith ic ▁( 4 0 ▁ 0 0 0 ▁ 3 0 ▁ 0 0 0 ▁years BC , ▁even ▁up ▁to ▁ 2 0 ▁ 0 0 0 ▁years ▁B P ▁in ▁the ▁Sah ara ). ▁ ▁Anti qu ity ▁The ▁former ▁wealth ▁of ▁this ▁area ▁is ▁att ested ▁by ▁many ▁Roman ▁well s ▁and ▁a ▁few ▁vill as . ▁ ▁These ▁remains ▁are ▁listed ▁on ▁the ▁staff ▁maps . ▁ ▁The ▁well s ▁are ▁all ▁d ried ▁up ▁today . ▁ ▁A ▁few ▁kilom eters ▁north ▁of ▁Bir ▁el - A ter ▁are ▁the ▁ru ins ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁Roman ▁oil ▁mill , ▁preserved ▁on ▁two ▁flo ors . ▁The ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁village ▁in ▁anti qu ity ▁was ▁V icus ▁A ter ii ▁indicating ▁only ▁a ▁small ▁settlement , ▁though ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁seat ▁of ▁an ▁ancient ▁Christian ▁bishop ric ▁in ▁the ▁Roman ▁province ▁of ▁ ▁By z ac ena . ▁The ▁ancient ▁Bishop ric