Author: Ofer Bar-Yosef
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780962911088
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 282
Book Description
"The last decades have brought to light many archaeological discoveries relevant to the study of prehistoric pastoralism in the Near East. The renewed interest in pastoralists, who often solely occupied the semi-arid region, arose amongst archaeologists when the origins of agriculture, especially the cultivation of cereals and legumes and the domestication of goats and sheep, attracted attention. Excavations of Late Paleolithic and Early Neolithic sites in the Levant and the hilly flanks of the Taurus and Zagros, have demonstrated that the information drawn from sites in the 'sown land' is insufficient to clarify the Near Eastern origins of animal husbandry and incipient pastoralism. The lack of evidence from the Syro-Arabian desert and Sinai has distorted our understanding of socioeconomic regional developments. A partial correction is now provided by the efforts of those archaeologists who have published the results of surveys and excavations over the last fifteen years. The available data sets indicate that the potential for studying the origin of pastoralism definitely lies in this vast region. The accumulation of archaeological, zoological, and botanical evidence since the late 1950s has enabled new hypotheses concerning the emergence of early food-producing economies and the incipient phases of animal domestication and husbandry. ... In this prehistoric context, the origin of pastoralism in general and of pastoral nomadism in particular, together with their relationship to other types of food-producing economies, has already been examined. Therefore, it seemed to us that the time had come to concentrate on three levels: (a) to summarize in broad outline the present knowledge of prehistoric forms of pastoralism in the Levant, (b) to attempt the more challenging task of integrating different archaeological, anthropological, and historical approaches, and to offer a comprehensive or alternative explanatory model of the origins of pastoralism, and (c) to try to understand the intricate relationships between pastoral and agrarian-urban societies, based mainly on the archaeological records of the region. We did not of course expect that all the various anthropological, archaeological and archaeozoological problems surrounding this issue could be resolved. However, we hoped that by bringing together the data and ideas of contemporary scholars we might be able to formulate better questions."--
Pastoralism in the Levant
Author: Ofer Bar-Yosef
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780962911088
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 282
Book Description
"The last decades have brought to light many archaeological discoveries relevant to the study of prehistoric pastoralism in the Near East. The renewed interest in pastoralists, who often solely occupied the semi-arid region, arose amongst archaeologists when the origins of agriculture, especially the cultivation of cereals and legumes and the domestication of goats and sheep, attracted attention. Excavations of Late Paleolithic and Early Neolithic sites in the Levant and the hilly flanks of the Taurus and Zagros, have demonstrated that the information drawn from sites in the 'sown land' is insufficient to clarify the Near Eastern origins of animal husbandry and incipient pastoralism. The lack of evidence from the Syro-Arabian desert and Sinai has distorted our understanding of socioeconomic regional developments. A partial correction is now provided by the efforts of those archaeologists who have published the results of surveys and excavations over the last fifteen years. The available data sets indicate that the potential for studying the origin of pastoralism definitely lies in this vast region. The accumulation of archaeological, zoological, and botanical evidence since the late 1950s has enabled new hypotheses concerning the emergence of early food-producing economies and the incipient phases of animal domestication and husbandry. ... In this prehistoric context, the origin of pastoralism in general and of pastoral nomadism in particular, together with their relationship to other types of food-producing economies, has already been examined. Therefore, it seemed to us that the time had come to concentrate on three levels: (a) to summarize in broad outline the present knowledge of prehistoric forms of pastoralism in the Levant, (b) to attempt the more challenging task of integrating different archaeological, anthropological, and historical approaches, and to offer a comprehensive or alternative explanatory model of the origins of pastoralism, and (c) to try to understand the intricate relationships between pastoral and agrarian-urban societies, based mainly on the archaeological records of the region. We did not of course expect that all the various anthropological, archaeological and archaeozoological problems surrounding this issue could be resolved. However, we hoped that by bringing together the data and ideas of contemporary scholars we might be able to formulate better questions."--
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780962911088
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 282
Book Description
"The last decades have brought to light many archaeological discoveries relevant to the study of prehistoric pastoralism in the Near East. The renewed interest in pastoralists, who often solely occupied the semi-arid region, arose amongst archaeologists when the origins of agriculture, especially the cultivation of cereals and legumes and the domestication of goats and sheep, attracted attention. Excavations of Late Paleolithic and Early Neolithic sites in the Levant and the hilly flanks of the Taurus and Zagros, have demonstrated that the information drawn from sites in the 'sown land' is insufficient to clarify the Near Eastern origins of animal husbandry and incipient pastoralism. The lack of evidence from the Syro-Arabian desert and Sinai has distorted our understanding of socioeconomic regional developments. A partial correction is now provided by the efforts of those archaeologists who have published the results of surveys and excavations over the last fifteen years. The available data sets indicate that the potential for studying the origin of pastoralism definitely lies in this vast region. The accumulation of archaeological, zoological, and botanical evidence since the late 1950s has enabled new hypotheses concerning the emergence of early food-producing economies and the incipient phases of animal domestication and husbandry. ... In this prehistoric context, the origin of pastoralism in general and of pastoral nomadism in particular, together with their relationship to other types of food-producing economies, has already been examined. Therefore, it seemed to us that the time had come to concentrate on three levels: (a) to summarize in broad outline the present knowledge of prehistoric forms of pastoralism in the Levant, (b) to attempt the more challenging task of integrating different archaeological, anthropological, and historical approaches, and to offer a comprehensive or alternative explanatory model of the origins of pastoralism, and (c) to try to understand the intricate relationships between pastoral and agrarian-urban societies, based mainly on the archaeological records of the region. We did not of course expect that all the various anthropological, archaeological and archaeozoological problems surrounding this issue could be resolved. However, we hoped that by bringing together the data and ideas of contemporary scholars we might be able to formulate better questions."--
Revolutions in the Desert
Author: Steven Rosen
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 131539992X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 338
Book Description
Revolutions in the Desert investigates the development of pastoral nomadism in the arid regions of the ancient Near East, challenging the prevailing notion that such societies left few remains appropriate for analytic study. Few prior studies have approached the deeper past of desert nomadic societies, which have been primarily recognized only as a complement to the study of sedentary agricultural societies in the region. Based on decades of archaeological field work in the Negev of southern Israel, both excavations and surveys, and integrating materials from adjacent regions, Revolutions in the Desert offers a deeper and more dynamic view of the rise of herding societies beyond the settled zone. Rosen offers the first archaeological analysis of the rise of herding in the desert, from the first introduction of domestic goats and sheep into the arid zones, more than eight millennia ago, to the evolution of more recent Bedouin societies. The adoption of domestic herds by hunter-gatherer societies, contemporary with and peripheral to the first farming settlements, revolutionized all aspects of desert life, including subsistence, trade, cult, social organization, and ecology. Inviting processual comparison to the agricultural revolution and the secondary spread of domestication beyond the Near East, this volume traces the evolution of nomadic societies in the archaeological record and examines their ecological, economic and social adaptations to the deserts of the Southern Levant. With maps and illustrations from the author’s own collection, Revolutions in the Desert is a thoughtful and engaging approach to the archaeology of desert nomadic societies.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 131539992X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 338
Book Description
Revolutions in the Desert investigates the development of pastoral nomadism in the arid regions of the ancient Near East, challenging the prevailing notion that such societies left few remains appropriate for analytic study. Few prior studies have approached the deeper past of desert nomadic societies, which have been primarily recognized only as a complement to the study of sedentary agricultural societies in the region. Based on decades of archaeological field work in the Negev of southern Israel, both excavations and surveys, and integrating materials from adjacent regions, Revolutions in the Desert offers a deeper and more dynamic view of the rise of herding societies beyond the settled zone. Rosen offers the first archaeological analysis of the rise of herding in the desert, from the first introduction of domestic goats and sheep into the arid zones, more than eight millennia ago, to the evolution of more recent Bedouin societies. The adoption of domestic herds by hunter-gatherer societies, contemporary with and peripheral to the first farming settlements, revolutionized all aspects of desert life, including subsistence, trade, cult, social organization, and ecology. Inviting processual comparison to the agricultural revolution and the secondary spread of domestication beyond the Near East, this volume traces the evolution of nomadic societies in the archaeological record and examines their ecological, economic and social adaptations to the deserts of the Southern Levant. With maps and illustrations from the author’s own collection, Revolutions in the Desert is a thoughtful and engaging approach to the archaeology of desert nomadic societies.
The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of the Levant
Author: Margreet L. Steiner
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191662542
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 913
Book Description
This Handbook aims to serve as a research guide to the archaeology of the Levant, an area situated at the crossroads of the ancient world that linked the eastern Mediterranean, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. The Levant as used here is a historical geographical term referring to a large area which today comprises the modern states of Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, western Syria, and Cyprus, as well as the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and the Sinai Peninsula. Unique in its treatment of the entire region, it offers a comprehensive overview and analysis of the current state of the archaeology of the Levant within its larger cultural, historical, and socio-economic contexts. The Handbook also attempts to bridge the modern scholarly and political divide between archaeologists working in this highly contested region. Written by leading international scholars in the field, it focuses chronologically on the Neolithic through Persian periods - a time span during which the Levant was often in close contact with the imperial powers of Egypt, Anatolia, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia. This volume will serve as an invaluable reference work for those interested in a contextualised archaeological account of this region, beginning with the 'agricultural revolution' until the conquest of Alexander the Great that marked the end of the Persian period.
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191662542
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 913
Book Description
This Handbook aims to serve as a research guide to the archaeology of the Levant, an area situated at the crossroads of the ancient world that linked the eastern Mediterranean, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. The Levant as used here is a historical geographical term referring to a large area which today comprises the modern states of Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, western Syria, and Cyprus, as well as the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and the Sinai Peninsula. Unique in its treatment of the entire region, it offers a comprehensive overview and analysis of the current state of the archaeology of the Levant within its larger cultural, historical, and socio-economic contexts. The Handbook also attempts to bridge the modern scholarly and political divide between archaeologists working in this highly contested region. Written by leading international scholars in the field, it focuses chronologically on the Neolithic through Persian periods - a time span during which the Levant was often in close contact with the imperial powers of Egypt, Anatolia, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia. This volume will serve as an invaluable reference work for those interested in a contextualised archaeological account of this region, beginning with the 'agricultural revolution' until the conquest of Alexander the Great that marked the end of the Persian period.
Mobile Pastoralism and the Formation of Near Eastern Civilizations
Author: Anne Porter
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521764432
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 401
Book Description
This book explores the roles of mobile and sedentary members of the ancient world in ancient Mesopotamia.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521764432
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 401
Book Description
This book explores the roles of mobile and sedentary members of the ancient world in ancient Mesopotamia.
A Companion to the Ancient Near East
Author: Daniel C. Snell
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119362466
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 528
Book Description
The new edition of the popular survey of Near Eastern civilization from the Bronze Age to the era of Alexander the Great A Companion to the Ancient Near East explores the history of the region from 4400 BCE to the Macedonian conquest of the Persian Empire in 330 BCE. Original and revised essays from a team of distinguished scholars from across disciplines address subjects including the politics, economics, architecture, and heritage of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series, this acclaimed single-volume reference combines lively writing with engaging and relatable topics to immerse readers in this fascinating period of Near East history. The new second edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to include new developments in relevant fields, particularly archaeology, and expand on themes of interest to contemporary students. Clear, accessible chapters offer fresh discussions on the history of the family and gender roles, the literature, languages, and religions of the region, pastoralism, medicine and philosophy, and borders, states, and warfare. New essays highlight recent discoveries in cuneiform texts, investigate how modern Egyptians came to understand their ancient history, and examine the place of archaeology among the historical disciplines. This volume: Provides substantial new and revised content covering topics such as social conflict, kingship, cosmology, work, trade, and law Covers the civilizations of the Sumerians, Hittites, Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Israelites, and Persians, emphasizing social and cultural history Examines the legacy of the Ancient Near East in the medieval and modern worlds Offers a uniquely broad geographical, chronological, and topical range Includes a comprehensive bibliographical guide to Ancient Near East studies as well as new and updated references and reading suggestions Suitable for use as both a primary reference or as a supplement to a chronologically arranged textbook, A Companion to the Ancient Near East, 2nd Edition is a valuable resource for advanced undergraduates, beginning graduate students, instructors in the field, and scholars from other disciplines.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119362466
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 528
Book Description
The new edition of the popular survey of Near Eastern civilization from the Bronze Age to the era of Alexander the Great A Companion to the Ancient Near East explores the history of the region from 4400 BCE to the Macedonian conquest of the Persian Empire in 330 BCE. Original and revised essays from a team of distinguished scholars from across disciplines address subjects including the politics, economics, architecture, and heritage of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series, this acclaimed single-volume reference combines lively writing with engaging and relatable topics to immerse readers in this fascinating period of Near East history. The new second edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to include new developments in relevant fields, particularly archaeology, and expand on themes of interest to contemporary students. Clear, accessible chapters offer fresh discussions on the history of the family and gender roles, the literature, languages, and religions of the region, pastoralism, medicine and philosophy, and borders, states, and warfare. New essays highlight recent discoveries in cuneiform texts, investigate how modern Egyptians came to understand their ancient history, and examine the place of archaeology among the historical disciplines. This volume: Provides substantial new and revised content covering topics such as social conflict, kingship, cosmology, work, trade, and law Covers the civilizations of the Sumerians, Hittites, Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Israelites, and Persians, emphasizing social and cultural history Examines the legacy of the Ancient Near East in the medieval and modern worlds Offers a uniquely broad geographical, chronological, and topical range Includes a comprehensive bibliographical guide to Ancient Near East studies as well as new and updated references and reading suggestions Suitable for use as both a primary reference or as a supplement to a chronologically arranged textbook, A Companion to the Ancient Near East, 2nd Edition is a valuable resource for advanced undergraduates, beginning graduate students, instructors in the field, and scholars from other disciplines.
The Origins And Spread Of Agriculture And Pastoralism In Eurasia
Author: David R. Harris
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040283462
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 617
Book Description
As the first book to examine the origins and spread of agriculture and pastoralism in Europe and Asia as a whole, this major contribution should be essential reading for archaeologists, anthropologists, biologists and geographers. Adopting a novel approach to the subject, the authors examine it first in terms of seven different disciplinary perspectives: social, ecological, genetic, linguistic, biomolecular, epidemiological and geogrpahical. Then, 20 case studies are presented, which are based primarily on archaeological and biological evidence and which relate to three major regions: Southwest Asia, Europe and Central Asia to the Pacific. The book concludes with an overview of Eurasia as a whole.; The transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture had revolutionary consequences for human society. It led to the emergence of urban civilizations and ultimately to humanity's almost complete dependence on relatively few domesticated animals and plants. The subject has been much studied, but the results have tended to be interpreted largely in terms of local cultural sequences, with insufficient comparison made with evidence from other areas. In contrast, this book provides a continental- scale framework, with its scope extended to pastoralism because in Eurasia both the raising of livestock and the cultivation of crops were integral components of the agricultural "revolution" from its inception some 10,000 years ago.; Comprehensive and authoritative, "The Origins and Spread of Agriculture and Pastoralism in Eurasia" should appeal strongly to the wide readership of students and specialists concerned with the prehistoric antecedents of modern civilization.
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040283462
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 617
Book Description
As the first book to examine the origins and spread of agriculture and pastoralism in Europe and Asia as a whole, this major contribution should be essential reading for archaeologists, anthropologists, biologists and geographers. Adopting a novel approach to the subject, the authors examine it first in terms of seven different disciplinary perspectives: social, ecological, genetic, linguistic, biomolecular, epidemiological and geogrpahical. Then, 20 case studies are presented, which are based primarily on archaeological and biological evidence and which relate to three major regions: Southwest Asia, Europe and Central Asia to the Pacific. The book concludes with an overview of Eurasia as a whole.; The transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture had revolutionary consequences for human society. It led to the emergence of urban civilizations and ultimately to humanity's almost complete dependence on relatively few domesticated animals and plants. The subject has been much studied, but the results have tended to be interpreted largely in terms of local cultural sequences, with insufficient comparison made with evidence from other areas. In contrast, this book provides a continental- scale framework, with its scope extended to pastoralism because in Eurasia both the raising of livestock and the cultivation of crops were integral components of the agricultural "revolution" from its inception some 10,000 years ago.; Comprehensive and authoritative, "The Origins and Spread of Agriculture and Pastoralism in Eurasia" should appeal strongly to the wide readership of students and specialists concerned with the prehistoric antecedents of modern civilization.
Near Eastern Archaeology
Author: Suzanne Richard
Publisher: Eisenbrauns
ISBN: 1575060833
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 506
Book Description
Annotation Filling a gap in classroom texts, more than 60 essays by major scholars in the field have been gathered to create the most up-to-date and complete book available on Levantine and Near Eastern archaeology. The book is divided into two sections: "Theory, Method, and Context," and "Cultural Phases and Topics," which together provide both methodological and areal coverage of the subject. The text is complemented by many line drawings and photographs. Includes a foreword by W.G. Dever.
Publisher: Eisenbrauns
ISBN: 1575060833
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 506
Book Description
Annotation Filling a gap in classroom texts, more than 60 essays by major scholars in the field have been gathered to create the most up-to-date and complete book available on Levantine and Near Eastern archaeology. The book is divided into two sections: "Theory, Method, and Context," and "Cultural Phases and Topics," which together provide both methodological and areal coverage of the subject. The text is complemented by many line drawings and photographs. Includes a foreword by W.G. Dever.
An Investigation into Early Desert Pastoralism
Author: Steven A. Rosen
Publisher: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press
ISBN: 1938770706
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 238
Book Description
Negev focuses on two primary purposes, one theoretical/methodological and the second substantive. Briefly stated, the book comprises a case study of excavations at an early (ca. 2800 B.C.) pastoral site in the Negev, providing detailed analyses and a synthetic overview of a seasonal encampment from this early period in the evolution of desert pastoral societies. It thus both demonstrates the feasibility of an archaeology of early mobile pastoralism and grapples with the basic anthropological and methodological issues surrounding the subject. Substantively, both the architectural and material culture assemblages uncovered constitute the first detailed analysis of this early desert culture and include materials previously unreported for the region and period. Historically, the Camel Site is placed in a larger perspective of the beginnings of multiresource nomadism in relation to the rise of complex societies.
Publisher: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press
ISBN: 1938770706
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 238
Book Description
Negev focuses on two primary purposes, one theoretical/methodological and the second substantive. Briefly stated, the book comprises a case study of excavations at an early (ca. 2800 B.C.) pastoral site in the Negev, providing detailed analyses and a synthetic overview of a seasonal encampment from this early period in the evolution of desert pastoral societies. It thus both demonstrates the feasibility of an archaeology of early mobile pastoralism and grapples with the basic anthropological and methodological issues surrounding the subject. Substantively, both the architectural and material culture assemblages uncovered constitute the first detailed analysis of this early desert culture and include materials previously unreported for the region and period. Historically, the Camel Site is placed in a larger perspective of the beginnings of multiresource nomadism in relation to the rise of complex societies.
The Archaeology of Society in the Holy Land
Author: Thomas Evan Levy
Publisher: Burns & Oates
ISBN:
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 648
Book Description
This comprehensive and highly illustrated study explores the human history in the Holy Land, from the earliest prehistoric hominids, through the biblical and historical periods, up to the twentieth century. Chronologically organized, each chapter outlines the major cultural transitions which occurred in a given archaeological period and provides a review of the most recent research concerning settlement patterns, innovations and technology, religion and ideology, and social organization.
Publisher: Burns & Oates
ISBN:
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 648
Book Description
This comprehensive and highly illustrated study explores the human history in the Holy Land, from the earliest prehistoric hominids, through the biblical and historical periods, up to the twentieth century. Chronologically organized, each chapter outlines the major cultural transitions which occurred in a given archaeological period and provides a review of the most recent research concerning settlement patterns, innovations and technology, religion and ideology, and social organization.
Quaternary of the Levant
Author: Yehouda Enzel
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107090466
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 789
Book Description
Over eighty contributions from leading researchers review 2.5 million years of environmental change and human cultural evolution in the Levant.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107090466
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 789
Book Description
Over eighty contributions from leading researchers review 2.5 million years of environmental change and human cultural evolution in the Levant.