Q.

Analyse the spread of Neolithic with a focus on West Asian

Sites?
Ans. If we look at the word “Neolithic” it is made of two words Neo
and Lithic or Lith means new and stone respectively. Neolithic term is
given to the age when Palaeolithic descended and Holocene
appeared on the face of the Earth (12000Y.Ago) but it is controversial
among the scholars, generally it is assumed that Neolithic begins
around 10,000 years ago. It involves a set of changes in the lives of
people as compared to preceding peoples of Mesolithic such as
stone tools shaped by polishing or grinding, dependence on
domesticated plants or animals, settlement in permanent villages
and the appearance of crafts as pottery and weaving. The cause
behind these changes is uncertain, though different-different
hypothesis were being proposed by Scholars. The proposed
hypotheses were broadly divided into two factors: - Climate and
Demographic Change. But all the Scholars have consensus over the
place of origin of Neolithic activities such as domestication of plants
and animals is Western-Asia or the Levant region, which includes
present day Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Palestine, Israel and Jordan.
Agriculture flourished in a selected area of west Asia called “Fertile
Crescent”. It includes sites such as Jericho, Jarmo, Abu-hureyra,
Catal-Hoyuk, Ain Ghazal. The nascent settlements of Neolithic were
pre-pottery settlements (PPN), means settlements without clay
vessels flourished around 10,000 years and lasted about 4,000 years.

1. Jericho:-It is considered as the earliest permanent settlement

which is expanded over an area of 4ha. It is believed that a
temporary Natufian camp had flourished at the site but farming
settlement quickly followed. During Excavation archaeologists had
recovered a massive stone wall and a tower. People have lived in
huts made of sun dried mud bricks plastered together with mud
mortar formed structures similar to bee-hives. Construction such
huge wall and tower requires command over communal labor and
economic resource which hints at some type of political organization.
The use of wall remains a mystery but some scholars suggests that
this may have been for defense from groups competiting against
scare resources or may have been anti-inundation work.

2. Abu-Hureyra: - It had emerged around 9000BC on the low mound

near the Euphrates. It covers an area of 12ha. Bones of sheep and
goats have been recovered in huge amount suggest of domestication
It have been inferred that people had lived in closely knit community
and living in rectangular one-story mud-brick houses joined by
narrow lanes and courtyards. The houses were multi-roomed, black
polished floors exceptionally decorated with red designs. Bone
analysis suggested sexual division of labor as food was prepared by
women because their knee joint bear the sign of arthritis caused by
kneeling. Men generally participated in hunting.

3. Jarmo:-One of the best known permanent hills farming village is

Jarmo. It is situated in the Zagros Mountain around 7000 years ago.
Excavated site wields cluster of some 25 houses made up 0f mud-
brick forming an irregular huddle separated by small alleyways and
courtyards. In the excavated houses storage bins and clay ovens
were found suggestive of surplus production and cooking. Seeds of
Barley, Emmer wheat and minor crops were found with the bones of
sheep and goats. Though the hunting had declined but the toolkit
still included Stone Age tools with sickle blades, grinding stones and
other implements that have been used in soil preparation activities.
Site also contains exotic material like obsidian, seashell and
turquoise certainly traded from Afar. Numerous clay tokens have
been excavated perhaps an evidence of recorded system connected
with long distance trade.

4. Catalhoyuk:-The Catalhoyuk site situated on the west of Anatolian

plateau covers an area of 13.7ha. It was a large village containing
numerous small houses of sun dried bricks separated by courtyards
with midden areas between them. The roofs were flat and the
outside walls provided a convenient defense wall. The residents of
Catalhoyuk had neither built any large or public structure nor did
bury their dead in cemeteries. Everything was done in the houses.
There are traces of rebuilding the houses. There are paintings of
humans and dangerous animals, burials in many of the houses,
sometimes detached skulls of the dead removed after death and
installation of animal body part such as ox horns in walls and
benches, plastered skulls of humans and bulls were circulated and
deposited on important occasions such as the founding of house. The
site wields evidence of ancestor worship and history passing from
generation to generation by living in the same house and rebuilding
it. It have been suggested that site’s prosperity resulted from trade
of obsidian volcanic glass which was available in the quarries in
nearby mountains. Items such as Marine shells, jadeite, serpentine,
turquoise and many other exotic commodities move from village to
village through myriad barter transaction. Perhaps these exchanges
not only used for obtaining exotic items but also for cementing social
relations.

5.Ain Ghazal:-It is one of the largest known Neolithic site in the

middle-east flourished around 9400 years ago. It is a large site
covering an area of 30 acres and 3 times larger than Jericho. The
houses were built of mud-bricks of various sizes and shapes. A large
number of plastered figures have been found under the house floors.
Numerous figures of human and animals have been unearthed and in
one case two clay figures of cattle had flint blades stuck into their
heads, necks and chests. The diet of people was diverse. Goats were
probably both hunted and herded, sheep, pigs, gazelles, birds and
many other species were exploited along with some wheat and
barley, peas, lentils and many wild plants