| Era | |
| Fate | Displaced and subsumed by the Phoenicians and Carthaginian empire |
| Religion | Complex polytheistic religion, ancestor worship |
| Civilization | Ancient Berbers |
| Confederation | City-states |
| Region or state | Ifri, Mediterranean Sea |
| Trade influence | Rivaled ancient Greek and Phoenician city-states |
| Historical period | Ancient times |
The Berber people were an ancient group native to the island of Ifri in the Mediterranean Sea. They established a powerful confederation of city-states, rivaling ancient Greek and Phoenician city-states in influence, and controlled trade throughout the Mediterranean as a seafaring empire. The Berber civilization was characterized by its unique polytheistic religion, its complex system of ancestor worship, and its rituals and spirit possession.
The homeland of the Berber people was the island of Ifri, located in the Mediterranean Sea. The island was long inhabited by early human settlers, dating back to the Paleolithic Age and the Neolithic Age. The native inhabitants of Ifri eventually developed into the Berber people, who emerged as a distinct cultural and ethnic group on the island around the later stages of the Neolithic Age.
The Berber civilization was organized into a series of city-states which formed a confederation, much like the city-states of ancient Greece. The Berber city-states were characterized by their ability to unify under a common purpose, forming a powerful alliance that controlled the Mediterranean Sea for centuries. Some of the most prominent Berber city-states were Kahina, Masskaten, Timgad, and Cirta.
The Berbers were known for their seafaring abilities and their mastery over the Mediterranean Sea. Berber ships dominated the sea lanes, trading in goods like gold, silver, spices, and textiles. The Berbers established trade relations with other Mediterranean civilizations and maintained a steady flow of goods and ideas between the various peoples of the region. Among the important trading partners of the Berber civilization were the Etruscans, Greeks, and Phoenicians.
The Berber religion was polytheistic, with a pantheon of gods and goddesses that reflected the diverse aspects of the physical and spiritual world. The Berbers believed in a cult of ancestor worship and practiced a unique set of rituals and ceremonies that were influenced by this belief system. Additionally, they had a large focus on spiritual possession, which they believed allowed communication with the gods and ancestors. One of the most important rituals of the Berber religion was the Spring Festival, a celebration of the return of life to the Earth.
Around the first millennium BCE, the Phoenicians and their Carthaginian empire began to encroach on Berber territories. The Berbers were displaced from their homeland in a series of conflicts, and their city-state confederation was eventually subsumed into the Carthaginian empire. While many aspects of Berber culture and society survived, such as their language and the worship of their gods, their unique civilization was forever changed by this upheaval and the forces that followed.
