Climatic changes and social transformations in the Near East and North Africa during the ‘long’ 4th millennium BC: A comparative study of environmental and archaeological evidence

This paper explores the possible links between rapid climate change (RCC) and social change in the Near East and surrounding regions (Anatolia, central Syria, southern Israel, Mesopotamia, Cyprus and eastern and central Sahara) during the ‘long’ 4th millennium (∼4500–3000) BC. Twenty terrestrial and 20 marine climate proxies are used to identify long-term trends in humidity involving transitions from humid to arid conditions and vice versa. The frequency distribution of episodes of relative aridity across these records is calculated for the period 6300–2000 BC, so that the results may be interpreted in the context of the established arid episodes associated with RCC around 6200 and 2200 BC (the 8.2 and 4.2 kyr events). We identify two distinct episodes of heightened aridity in the early-mid 4th, and late 4th millennium BC. These episodes cluster strongly at 3600–3700 and 3100–3300 BC. There is also evidence of localised aridity spikes in the 5th and 6th millennia BC. These results are used as context for the interpretation of regional and local archaeological records with a particular focus on case studies from western Syria, the middle Euphrates, southern Israel and Cyprus. Interpretation of the records involves the construction of plausible narratives of human–climate interaction informed by concepts of adaptation and resilience from the literature on contemporary (i.e. 21st century) climate change and adaptation. The results are presented alongside well-documented examples of climatically-influenced societal change in the central and eastern Sahara, where detailed geomorphological studies of ancient environments have been undertaken in tandem with archaeological research. While the narratives for the Near East and Eastern Mediterranean remain somewhat speculative, the use of resilience and adaptation frameworks allows for a more nuanced treatment of human–climate interactions and recognises the diversity and context-specificity of human responses to climatic and environmental change. Our results demonstrate that there is a need for more local environmental data to be collected ‘at source’ during archaeological excavations

A Unique Human-Fox Burial from a Pre-Natufian Cemetery in the Levant (Jordan)

New human burials from northern Jordan provide important insights into the appearance of cemeteries and the nature of human-animal relationships within mortuary contexts during the Epipalaeolithic period (c. 23,000–11,600 cal BP) in the Levant, reinforcing a socio-ideological relationship that goes beyond predator-prey. Previous work suggests that archaeological features indicative of social complexity occur suddenly during the latest Epipalaeolithic phase, the Natufian (c. 14,500–11,600 cal BP). These features include sedentism, cemeteries, architecture, food production, including animal domestication, and burials with elaborate mortuary treatments. Our findings from the pre-Natufian (Middle Epipalaeolithic) cemetery of ‘Uyun al-Hammam demonstrate that joint human-animal mortuary practices appear earlier in the Epipalaeolithic. We describe the earliest human-fox burial in the Near East, where the remains of dogs have been found associated with human burials at a number of Natufian sites. This is the first time that a fox has been documented in association with human interments pre-dating the Natufian and with a particular suite of grave goods. Analysis of the human and animal bones and their associated artefacts provides critical data on the nature and timing of these newly-developing relationships between people and animals prior to the appearance of domesticated dogs in the Natufian

Introduction

Banning Edward B. Introduction. In: Paléorient, 2007, vol. 33, n°1. pp. 11-14

Garfinkel Y., Dag D., Khalaily H., Marder O., Milevski I. and Ronen A., with contributions. 2012. The Pre-Pottery Neolithic B Village of Yiftahel. The 1980s and 1990s Excavations. Berlin: ex oriente (Bibliotheca Neolithica Asiae Meridionalis et Occidentalis).

Banning Edward B. Garfinkel Y., Dag D., Khalaily H., Marder O., Milevski I. and Ronen A., with contributions. 2012. The Pre-Pottery Neolithic B Village of Yiftahel. The 1980s and 1990s Excavations. Berlin: ex oriente (Bibliotheca Neolithica Asiae Meridionalis et Occidentalis).. In: Paléorient, 2013, vol. 39, n°2. pp. 228-230

Garfinkel Y., Dag D., Khalaily H., Marder O., Milevski I. and Ronen A., with contributions. 2012. The Pre-Pottery Neolithic B Village of Yiftahel. The 1980s and 1990s Excavations. Berlin: ex oriente (Bibliotheca Neolithica Asiae Meridionalis et Occidentalis).

Banning Edward B. Garfinkel Y., Dag D., Khalaily H., Marder O., Milevski I. and Ronen A., with contributions. 2012. The Pre-Pottery Neolithic B Village of Yiftahel. The 1980s and 1990s Excavations. Berlin: ex oriente (Bibliotheca Neolithica Asiae Meridionalis et Occidentalis).. In: Paléorient, 2013, vol. 39, n°2. pp. 228-230

Time and Tradition in the Transition from Late Neolithic to Chalcolithic: Summary and Conclusions

Banning Edward B. Time and Tradition in the Transition from Late Neolithic to Chalcolithic: Summary and Conclusions. In: Paléorient, 2007, vol. 33, n°1. pp. 137-142

The Archaeological Impacts of Metal Detecting

In a comment on two recent articles on the archaeological impacts of metal detecting, this paper advocates clearer and more valid measures of those impacts and more nuanced classification of the legal and cultural environments in which metal detecting takes place. The need to rely on open-source, online data for transnational analysis makes the former challenging but not impossible. Using the example of Canada, the paper shows that jurisdictional and other complexities make simple “permissive” and “restrictive/prohibitive” dichotomies unhelpful, and suggests using multivariate analysis that accounts for such factors as presumption of ownership, locations of metal detecting, availability of finds reporting, and whether heritage legislation concerns artifacts or only sites. This is essential for development of sound, evidence-based policy on the metal-detecting hobby

Introduction

Banning Edward B. Introduction. In: Paléorient, 2007, vol. 33, n°1. pp. 11-14

Wadi Rabah and Related Assemblages in the Southern Levant: Interpreting the Radiocarbon Evidence

Résumé: L’absence de consensus sur la manière de dater ou même de classifier les assemblages «Néolithique récent», «Chalcolithique ancien» ou «moyen» au Levant Sud est non seulement causée par le faible nombre de datations radiocarbones disponibles mais aussi par le mauvais usage qu’il en est fait, et par des incohérences quant à la terminologie. Cet article présente les analyses typologiques de plusieurs assemblages offrant des affinités dites «Wadi Rabah» et «Chalcolithique moyen» accompagnées d’analyses bayesiennes des dates radiocarbones qui leur sont associées. Les résultats obtenus montrent qu’un groupe de ces assemblages présentant la plupart des traits que l’on peut considérer comme les plus caractéristiques du «Wadi Rabah» daterait de 5800-5200 cal. BC. Toutefois, d’autres assemblages se réclamant aussi de Wadi Rabah ne nous semblent répondre ni aux caractères typologiques, ni à la place qu’occupe Wadi Rabah dans la séquence chronologique; ils appartiendraient à un chalcolithique plus tardif, encore pré-ghassoulien.Abstract: Current lack of consensus on how to date or even classify “Late Neolithic” or “Early” or “Middle Chalcolithic” assemblages in the southern Levant is due not only to a past shortage of radiocarbon evidence but to misapplication of such evidence as we have an inconsistency in terminology. This paper presents some typological analyses of several assemblages with claimed “Wadi Rabah” and “Middle Chalcolithic” affinities as well as Bayesian analyses of the associated radiocarbon evidence. The results indicate that a group of assemblages with most of the characteristics we might consider most typical of Wadi Rabah date to the period 5800-5200 cal. BC. Some of the assemblages with this claim, however, fit neither the typological nor the chronological characteristics of Wadi Rabah, and appear to belong to a later, yet Pre-Ghassulian, Chalcolithic.Banning Edward B. Wadi Rabah and Related Assemblages in the Southern Levant: Interpreting the Radiocarbon Evidence. In: Paléorient, 2007, vol. 33, n°1. pp. 77-101

Stordeur D. 2015. Le village de Jerf el Ahmar (Syrie, 9500-8700 av. J.-C.). L’architecture, miroir d’une société néolithique complexe. Paris : CNRS Éditions

Banning Edward B. Stordeur D. 2015. Le village de Jerf el Ahmar (Syrie, 9500-8700 av. J.-C.). L’architecture, miroir d’une société néolithique complexe. Paris : CNRS Éditions. In: Paléorient, 2016, vol. 42, n°2. Connections and Disconnections between the Northern and Southern Levant in the Late Prehistory and Protohistory (12th – mid-2nd mill, BC) pp. 214-215