The Neolithic Revolution in the Near East: Transforming the Human Landscape - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0816529663 ISBN 13: 9780816529667

Publisher: University of Arizona Press, 2011

Synopsis

One of humanity's most important milestones was the transition from hunting and gathering to food production and permanent village life. This Neolithic Revolution first occurred in the Near East, changing the way humans interacted with their environment and each other, setting the stage, ultimately, for the modern world.
Based on more than thirty years of fieldwork, this timely volume examines the Neolithic Revolution in the Levantine Near East and the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Alan H. Simmons explores recent research regarding the emergence of Neolithic populations, using both environmental and theoretical contexts, and incorporates specific case studies based on his own excavations. In clear and graceful prose, Simmons traces chronological and regional differences within this land of immense environmental contrasts—woodland, steppe, and desert. He argues that the Neolithic Revolution can be seen in a variety of economic, demographic, and social guises and that it lacked a single common stimulus.
Each chapter includes sections on history, terminology, geographic range, specific domesticated species, the composition of early villages and households, and the development of social, symbolic, and religious behavior. Most chapters include at least one case study and conclude with a concise summary. In addition, Simmons presents a unique chapter on the island of Cyprus, where intriguing new research challenges assumptions about the impact and extent of the Neolithic.
The Neolithic Revolution in the Near East conveys the diversity of our Neolithic ancestors, providing a better understanding of the period and the new social order that arose because of it. This insightful volume will be especially useful to Near Eastern scholars and to students of archaeology and the origins of agriculture.

About this title

Review:

"For those seeking a survey of modern approaches to human history during the transition to sedentary society, this is an informative volume that is a joy to read."--Bulletin for Biblical Research

Winner of the G. Ernest Wright Award from The American Schools of Oriental Research

"An extremely readable work that introduces the main issues that currently engage researchers of the Near Eastern Neolithic and the cultures that preceded it."--American Antiquity

"In this rich, highly readable volume, Alan H. Simmons draws on 30 years of archaeological experience to examine the origins of agriculture and pastoral economies in the Near East."--Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics

"This volume contains a wealth of relevant data and useful references."--Cambridge Archaeological Review

From the Inside Flap:

This insightful text examines the Neolithic revolution in the Levantine Near East and the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Based on thirty years of fieldwork, Simmons explores recent research and incorporates specific case studies of his own excavations. It's an invaluable resource for scholars and students of Near Easter archaeology and the origins of agriculture.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Arizona Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0816529663
• ISBN 13: 9780816529667
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 360