Cultures > Pre-Pottery Neolithic B

Pre-Pottery Neolithic B

Background

Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) is a significant phase in the Neolithic period, particularly in the Near East, that marks a transformative era in human prehistory. This period spans approximately from 8500 to 6000 BCE and follows the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) period. Here are some key aspects of PPNB:

1. Chronology and Geography:

   • The PPNB period is dated to roughly 8500-6000 BCE.
   • It is primarily identified in the Levant, including modern-day Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and parts of southeastern Turkey.
   • PPNB sites have also been found in Cyprus, indicating the spread of Neolithic cultures across the Mediterranean.

2. Architecture:

   • PPNB communities are known for their advanced architectural techniques. They built substantial, often multi-room, rectangular houses using mudbrick and stone foundations.
   • Buildings were typically larger and more complex than those in the preceding PPNA period, reflecting increased social complexity and possibly population growth.

3. Economy and Subsistence:

   • The PPNB period saw a significant shift toward a more settled, agrarian lifestyle. People cultivated a variety of crops, including wheat, barley, lentils, and peas.
   • Domestication of animals such as goats, sheep, and cattle became more prevalent, complementing hunting and foraging activities.
   • The economy was based on mixed farming and animal husbandry, which supported larger, more permanent settlements.

4. Tools and Technology:

   • PPNB communities produced a variety of finely crafted flint tools, including sickle blades, arrowheads, and scrapers.
   • The use of plaster and lime was significant in PPNB technology, especially for flooring and wall plastering in houses and for creating figurines and other decorative objects.

5. Art and Symbolism:

   • Artistic expression flourished during the PPNB period. This includes the creation of plastered skulls, a practice where human skulls were covered with plaster to recreate facial features, possibly for ancestor worship or ritualistic purposes.
   • Figurines, both human and animal, made from clay or stone, have been found at many PPNB sites, indicating a rich symbolic and ritual life.

6. Social Structure:

   • The increase in the size and complexity of PPNB settlements suggests the development of more complex social structures.
   • There is evidence of communal structures and spaces, such as large buildings that may have served as communal storage areas or ritual centers.

7. Burial Practices:

   • Burial practices during the PPNB period included intramural burials (within the settlement area), often beneath house floors.
   • The treatment of the dead varied, with some individuals being buried with elaborate grave goods, indicating social differentiation.

8. Significant Sites:

   • Notable PPNB sites include Jericho (Tell es-Sultan), Ain Ghazal, and Beidha in Jordan; Çayönü and Göbekli Tepe in Turkey; and Abu Hureyra in Syria.
   • These sites provide extensive evidence of the architectural, agricultural, and social developments of the period.

9. Decline and Transition:

   • The end of the PPNB period around 6000 BCE is marked by a transition to the Pottery Neolithic, characterized by the introduction and widespread use of pottery.
   • This transition also involved changes in settlement patterns, subsistence strategies, and social organization.

The Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period represents a critical phase in human prehistory, characterized by significant advances in agriculture, architecture, and social complexity. The innovations and developments of this period laid the foundations for the later Neolithic cultures and the eventual rise of urban civilizations in the Near East.

Sources

Cultures