NÆR, The first settled societies: From Hunting and Gathering to Agriculture in the Middle East (F27)

Between approximately 22,000 and 8,000 years ago, societies in the Middle East experienced one of the most transformative shifts in human history—the transition from mobile hunting and gathering to sedentary village-based agricultural life. This course explores the archaeology of this pivotal period, focusing on the cultural, environmental, and technological changes that set the stage for the emergence of early farming societies. The course begins with an introduction to the earlier Palaeolithic period and establishes the broader context for understanding the lifeways of the last hunter-gatherer societies in the region. Students will engage with key topics such as chronology, geography, and climate change, and consider how environmental factors influenced human adaptations. Through a critical review of the history of research and major theoretical paradigms, the course also addresses how archaeologists have interpreted the shift from foraging to food production over time.

Key themes include:

• Social organization and mobility patterns in Epipalaeolithic and early Neolithic societies.
• Diet and health during the transition from foraging to agriculture, including bioarchaeological evidence for changing subsistence strategies.
• Technological and material culture innovations, including lithics, architecture, and early ceramics.
• Major sites and regional case studies that provide insight into the diverse pathways to sedentism and agriculture.
• Debates and current perspectives on the causes and consequences of the Neolithic Revolution.