THE NEOLITHIC OF THE LEVANT A.M.T. Moore University College Volume 1 Thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Oxford University 1978 - 1 - CONTENTS Volume 1 page CONTENTS FIGURES AND TABLES IV ABSTRACT vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS viii INTRODUCTION 1 Chapter 1 THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE LEVANT IN THE LATE PLEISTOCENE AND EARLY HOLOCENE Late Pleistocene 11 Summary 21 Early Holocene 25 Summary 31 Chapter 2 THE MESOLITHIC OF THE LEVANT Mesolithic 1 37 Settlement patterns Economy and society hh Mesolithic 2 ^ Settlement patterns 61 Economy and society 63 Chapter 3 NEOLITHIC 1 Qk Distribution of sites 133 Economy 136 Discussion 1U9 Chapter k NEOLITHIC 2 160 Middle Euphrates 161 West Syria 190 Palestine 211 Relationships between Palestinian, West Syrian and Middle Euphrates sites in Neolithic 2 226 Mt. Carmel 230 Jordan valley 231 Judean hills Negev and Sinai 237 TransJordan plateau - 11 - Contents (continued) page Chapter k (continued) Principal cultural characteristics of Neolithic 2 settlements 256 Distribution of sites 260 Economy Middle Euphrates sites 265 West Syrian sites 272 Palestinian sites 273 Discussion 286 Volume 2 Chapter 5 NEOLITHIC 3 Middle Euphrates 296 North Syria 299 South Syria Lebanese coast 329 Beka'a 3^2 Damascus basin 355 Palestine 358 South Palestine 359 North Palestine 367 Principal cultural characteristics of Neolithic 3 settlements 379 Timespan of Neolithic 3 382 Distribution of sites 38U Economy 387 Discussion 397 Chapter 6 NEOLITHIC >*08 South Syria Lebanese coast Beka'a Damascus basin UU8 Palestine South Palestine North Palestine West Palestine Distribution of sites U65 - Ill - Contents (continued) page Chapter 6 (continued) Economy Community organization and trade ^-75 Chapter 7 CONCLUSION ^79 APPENDIX Carbon 1U dating ^96 NOTES 500 BIBLIOGRAPHY 502 - iv - FIGURES AND TABLES All artifacts drawn full size unless otherwise indicated page Volume 1 Fig. 1 The Levant 1 Fig. 2 A reconstruction of vegetation zones c. 9000 B.C. 23 Fig. 3 A reconstruction of vegetation zones c. 6000 B.C. 31 Fig. k A reconstruction of vegetation zones c. UOOO B.C. 32 Fig. 5 Distribution of Mesolithic 1 sites ^2 Fig. 6 Distribution of Mesolithic 2 sites 61 Fig. 7 Jericho Proto-Neolithic - flint borers and burins 93 Fig. 8 Jericho Proto-Neolithic - flint scrapers 9^- Fig. 9 Jericho Proto-Neolithic - flint sickle blades and adze 95 Fig. 10 Jericho PPNA - flint scrapers, borers and burins 96 Fig. 11 Jericho PPNA - flint adze and sickle blades 96 Fig. 12 Neolithic 1 village at Nahal Oren (after Stekelis and Yizraely) 100 Fig. 13 Nahal Oren Neolithic 1 flint tools 102 Fig. 1U Nahal Oren Neolithic 1 flint tools 103 Fig. 15 a - El Khiam points (after Perrot) 107 b - Harif points (after Marks) Fig. 16 Mureybat IB-Ill - flint arrovheads and adze (after Cauvin) 121 Fig. 17 Distribution of Neolithic 1 sites 133 Fig. 18 Extent of Neolithic 2 settlement 160 Fig. 19 Neolithic 2 Middle Euphrates sites 161 Fig. 20 Environs of Tell Abu Hureyra 163 Fig. 21 Tell Abu Hureyra - contour plan 16U Fig. 22 Tell Abu Hureyra - butterfly beads 166 Fig. 23 Tell Abu Hureyra - double-ended flint cores 167 Fig. 2U Tell Abu Hureyra - flint arrowheads 168 - v - Figures and Tables (continued) page Fig. 25 Tell Abu Hureyra - Amuq arrowheads 168 Fig. 26 Tell Abu Hureyra - flint scrapers 168 Fig. 27 Tell Abu Hureyra - flint burins 169 Fig. 28 Tell Abu Hureyra - flint borers 169 Fig. 29 Tell Abu Hureyra - flint sickle blades 169 Fig. 30 Tell Abu Hureyra - bone tools 171 Fig. 31 Tell Abu Hureyra - polished stone axes and chisel 172 Fig. 32 Neolithic 2 West Syrian sites 190 Fig. 33 Neolithic 2 Palestinian sites 211 Fig. 3^ Beidha - Level II buildings (after Kirkbride and Perrot) 2h6 Volume 2 Fig. 35 Extent of Neolithic 3 settlement 295 Fig. 36 Neolithic 3 North Syrian sites 299 Fig. 37 Horns - Amuq points (after de Contenson) 305 Fig. 38 Pattern-burnished vessels 310 a - Tell Judaidah (after Braidwood and Braidwood) b - Byblos (after Dunand) Fig. 39 Neolithic 3 South Syrian sites 328 Fig. hO Byblos - Ne"olithique Ancien houses (after Dunand) 331 Fig. hi Byblos Neolithique Ancien 333 a - sickle blades (after Cauvin) b - Byblos points Fig. h2 Byblos - Neolithique Ancien jars (after Dunand) 335 Fig. h3 Byblos - Ne"olithique Ancien bowls (after Dunand) 336 Fig. hh Neolithic 3 Palestinian sites 359 Fig. lj-5 Distribution of Neolithic h sites U12 Fig. h6 Byblos - N£olithique Moyen flint tools (after Cauvin) Ul6 Fig. hj Byblos - Ne"olithique Recent flint tools (after Cauvin) U17 Fig. U8 Byblos - Ngolithique Moyen jars (after Dunand) - vi - Figures and Tables (continued) page Fig. h9 Byblos - Ngolithique Re*cent bowls and jars (after Dunand) Fig. 50 Neolithic h South Syrian sites Fig. 51 Neolithic U Palestinian sites Fig. 52 Jericho - Pottery Neolithic B vessels Fig. 53 Palestine - supplementary Neolithic 3 and k sites Fig. 5U Estimated 14C calibration curve to 10,000 B.C. Table 1 Percentages of obsidian in each cultural phase at Tell Abu Hureyra 171 Table 2 1*98 - vii - ABSTRACT THE NEOLITHIC OF THE LEVANT A.M.T. Moore University College Doctor of Philosophy Hilary Term 1978 The archaeological evidence for the Neolithic of the Levant, considered to have lasted from c. 8500 to 3750 B.C., is presented and an attempt made to explain its origins and development. The discussion is concerned with four principal themes: (1) the transition from a hunter-gatherer to a farming economy, (2) the social evolution that accompanied this economic development, (3) population growth immediately "before and during the Neolithic and (U) the modifications in settlement patterns which followed these other changes. The environmental changes which occurred at the end of the Pleistocene and early in the Holocene are believed to "be of fundamental importance. The degree of their influence on the four main themes is examined. The effects of man's own changing activities upon his environment are also considered. The Neolithic of the Levant is divided into four stages, designated Neolithic 1 to U, on the evidence of changes in economy, population, settlement patterns and cultural remains. Regional groups of sites, defined "by their cultural material, may "be discerned and their evolution followed from one stage to the next. The detailed archaeological evidence is examined principally for the light it throws upon the development of the four main themes of the thesis and the contemporary changes in environment. It is argued that the amelioration of the environment in the late Pleistocene created a greater supply of wild foods for man which stimulated population growth. This was accompanied by increased sedentism and the development of agricultural techniques. In Neolithic 2 agriculture was intensified and the population grew further. After 6000 B.C. the population of the Levant lived in permanent settlements supported "by agriculture "but these were concentrated only in the more fertile and well-watered areas of the Levant. This new way of life permitted another increase in population in Neolithic ^ despite a deterioration in the environment. - viii - ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis was written between 1975 and 1977 but much of the information I have used was obtained in studies carried out as far back as 1969 when I first went to the Near East to begin research. Throughout I have benefited from the encouragement and advice of my supervisor, Dame Kathleen Kenyon. She introduced me to Near Eastern Archaeology by inviting me to participate in her excavations in Jerusalem in 1966. She has allowed me to study all the available Neolithic material from her excavations at Jericho and to use whatever information I needed from the records of the excavation. Her firm criticism has clarified my thinking and writing while her generous praise has given welcome support. I owe her much. I studied under Professor J.D. Evans at the Institute of Archaeology of London University from 1967 to 1969. It was he who stimulated my interest in prehistory and the problems of the Neolithic. His humane approach to the study of prehistory has influenced my own work and I am grateful to him for his continued interest in the progress of my research. The Queen's College, Oxford awarded me a Randall Maclver Studentship from 1969 to 1971 and the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem made me their Annual Scholar from 1969 to 1970. These two studentships enabled me to spend a year and a half travelling through much of the Near East, visiting ancient sites and studying museum collections. During this period I formed a working knowledge of the available archaeological material which I have used in preparing this thesis. In 1973 I was awarded a Gerald Averay Wainwright Research Fellowship in Near Eastern Archaeology at Oxford. This Fellowship has supported me while I prepared the text of the thesis; it has also allowed me to continue work on my other research projects, in particular my excavation of Tell Abu Hureyra. I wish to thank the Curators and staff of the Pitt Rivers Museum and Dr. D.A. Roe of the Donald Baden-Powell Quaternary Research Centre for - ix - affording me facilities and practical help during the preparation of this thesis. In all my sojourns in the Levant the Directors and staff of the Depart­ ments of Antiquities in each country have readily granted me permission to carry out my research. The Curators of all the major museums have also allowed me full access to the collections of material in their charge. It will be evident that I could have accomplished little without this help. These authorities have also frequently given me much other practical assistance and generous hospitality for which I offer my grateful thanks.