urus ian ▁" M ech ta - A fal ou " ▁bur ial s ▁and ▁European ▁Cro - M agn on ▁remains . ▁The ▁I ber oma urus ian ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁the ▁Be aker ▁culture ▁in ▁Mor oc co . ▁ ▁M ito ch ond rial ▁DNA ▁studies ▁have ▁discovered ▁a ▁close ▁link ▁between ▁Ber bers ▁and ▁the ▁Sa ami ▁of ▁Sc and in avia . ▁This ▁supports ▁theories ▁that ▁the ▁Franco - C ant ab rian ▁refuge ▁area ▁of ▁south western ▁Europe ▁was ▁the ▁source ▁of ▁late - g la cial ▁exp ans ions ▁of ▁h unter - g ather ers ▁who ▁rep op ulated ▁northern ▁Europe ▁after ▁the ▁last ▁ice ▁age . ▁ ▁North west ▁Africa ▁and ▁Mor oc co ▁were ▁slowly ▁drawn ▁into ▁the ▁wider ▁emer ging ▁Mediter rane an ▁world ▁by ▁the ▁Pho en icians , ▁who ▁established ▁trad ing ▁colon ies ▁and ▁settlement s ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁Class ical ▁period . ▁Sub st ant ial ▁Pho en ician ▁settlement s ▁were ▁at ▁Ch ella h , ▁L ix us ▁and ▁M og ador . ▁M og ador ▁was ▁a ▁Pho en ician ▁col ony ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁early ▁ 6 th ▁century ▁BC . ▁ ▁Mor oc co ▁later ▁became ▁a ▁real m ▁of ▁the ▁North west ▁African ▁civil isation ▁of ▁ancient ▁Car th age ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁its ▁emp ire . ▁The ▁earliest ▁known ▁independent ▁Mor oc can ▁state ▁was ▁the ▁Ber ber ▁kingdom ▁of ▁Ma ure t ania ▁under ▁king ▁B aga . ▁This