Neolithic Period, North-Western Saudi Arabia
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NEOLITHIC PERIOD, NORTH-WESTERN SAUDI ARABIA Khalid Fayez AlAsmari PhD UNIVERSITY OF YORK ARCHAEOLOGY SEPTEMBER 2019 Abstract During the past four decades, the Neolithic period in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) had received little academic study, until recently. This was due to the previous widely held belief that the Arabian Peninsula had no sites dating back to this time period, as well as few local researchers and the scarcity of foreign research teams. The decline in this belief over the past years, however, has led to the realisation of the importance of the Neolithic in this geographical part of the world for understanding the development and spread of early farming. As well as gaining a better understanding of the cultural attribution of the Neolithic in KSA, filling the chronological gaps in this historical era in KSA is vital, as it is not well understood compared to many neighbouring areas. To address this gap in knowledge, this thesis aims to consider whether the Northwest region of KSA was an extension of the Neolithic developments in the Levant or an independent culture, through presenting the excavation of the Neolithic site of AlUyaynah. Despite surveys and studies that have been conducted in the KSA, this study is the first of its kind, because the site "AlUyaynah", which is the focus of this dissertation, is the first excavation of a site dating back to the pre-pottery Neolithic (PPN). Therefore, the importance of this study lies in developing an understanding of Neolithic characteristics in the North-Western part of the KSA. Initially, the site was surveyed and then three trenches were excavated to study the remaining levels of occupation. The excavations’ materials recovered included 967 stone tools (e.g. Core, Flake, Blade, Debitage, etc); the remains of 1659 animal bones; buildings; and 216 unique clay objects, which are the first discovery of their kind from a site that dates back to the Neolithic era in the Arabian Peninsula. The current study includes a discussion of the findings from AlUyaynah and places them in their regional context. Particular attention is given to the buildings and structures, lithic assemblage and clay objects. To assist in this analysis a series of 21 new radiocarbon dates were produced from the site, with the aim to understand the beginning and end of the occupation in this settlement. This study discusses Neolithic culture and whether or not to support or reject the arguments for the Neolithic spread from other regions or local developments. i Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................................... i List of Tables ......................................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ...................................................................................................................................... viii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................... xii Declaration ........................................................................................................................................... xiv Chapter One – Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project Rationale and Historical Background ......................................................................... 1 1.2 Research Aim .......................................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Objectives ............................................................................................................................... 5 1.4 Methodology ........................................................................................................................... 6 1.5 Structure of the Thesis ............................................................................................................ 7 Chapter Two – The Neolithic Period ...................................................................................................... 9 2.1 Aim and Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 9 2.2 Structure of the Chapter ................................................................................................................ 9 2.3 Origin and Initial Definition of the Neolithic Period .................................................................... 9 2.3.1 The Neolithic Package ......................................................................................................... 11 2.3.2 Chronological Setting .......................................................................................................... 12 2.3.3 Domestication Process ......................................................................................................... 13 2.4 The Neolithic in the Fertile Crescent .......................................................................................... 14 2.4.1 Regional Differentiations within the Fertile Crescent.......................................................... 14 2.4.2 The Levant ........................................................................................................................... 16 2.4.3 Mesopotamia ........................................................................................................................ 22 2.5 The Neolithic Period in the Arabian Peninsula ........................................................................... 26 2.5.1 Yemen .................................................................................................................................. 26 2.5.2 Oman .................................................................................................................................... 27 2.5.3 The United Arab Emirates (UAE)........................................................................................ 29 2.5.4 Qatar ..................................................................................................................................... 32 2.5.5 Bahrain ................................................................................................................................. 32 2.5.6 Kuwait .................................................................................................................................. 32 2.6 The Neolithic in Saudi Arabia .................................................................................................... 32 2.6.1 The origin and Spread of the Neolithic ................................................................................ 33 2.6.2 Archaeological Evidence ..................................................................................................... 35 2.7 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 43 Chapter Three – Climate and Environment .......................................................................................... 46 i 3.1 Aim and Objectives ..................................................................................................................... 46 3.2 Structure of the Chapter .............................................................................................................. 46 3.3 Introduction to Arabian Peninsula .............................................................................................. 46 3.4 Topography ................................................................................................................................. 47 3.4.1 Deserts .................................................................................................................................. 48 3.4.2 Mountains ............................................................................................................................ 49 3.4.3 Coastal Plains ....................................................................................................................... 50 3.4.4 Lava fields "Al-Harat" ......................................................................................................... 51 3.4.5 The plateau of Najd (the central plateau) ............................................................................. 51 3.5 Present-Day Climate ................................................................................................................... 52 3.5.1 Holocene palaeoclimates ...................................................................................................... 56 3.5.2 Holocene Climate Change in Arabia ................................................................................... 58 3.6 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 61 Chapter Four – Excavation at AlUyaynah ............................................................................................ 63 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 63 4.2 Aims and Objectives ..................................................................................................................