Spatial Distribution       Animal Domestication       Plant Domestication      Food Production

SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION

currently, earliest evidence of domesticates is in nuclear zones (where progenitors were found) of Near East, supporting Braidwood's experimentation or hilly flanks theory rather than Childe's oasis theory

food production developed independently in three different Near East subhearths initially:

 1. Levant - Israel, Jordan, Sinai, western Syria

 2. Mesopotamia and Zagros Mountains - Iran, Iraq, eastern Syria
 
 3. Anatolia - Turkey

Map of Near East showing location of fertile crescent.

ANIMAL DOMESTICATION

TRENDS

important domesticates were *sheep, *goat, cattle, dog, pig, donkey, horse, camel

probably began before plant domestication; was a long process

began in many parts of Near East about the same time (9000-6000 BC)

first herd domesticate was sheep, about 8900 BC

required new tools like pens

SPECIES

first domesticate was dog

oldest bones are 11,000 BC from Palegawra Cave, north Iraq; may be as early as 22,000 BC?

domesticated to aid in hunting or to protect herds?

at Zawi Chemi Shanidar site is evidence of possible sheep herding and probably domestication at about 8900 BC; evidence is selective slaughtering indicated by age distribution of bones (or selective hunting?)

in Jordan Valley at about 8500 BC

herding well established in Zagros Mtns by 8000 BC

wool industry probably not until 4000 BC

sheep provided meat, milk and wool


Sheep herding.

first evidence of domesticated goats is in Zagros area of Iran at about 7500 BC (Tel Asiab) and in lower Mesopotamia at Ali Kosh (72% of animal bone is goats) and Ganj Dareh

goats and sheep in Levant by 7000 BC

sheep and goats all over by 6000 BC

goats provided meat and milk


Domesticated goats.

first evidence of domesticated cattle in southeastern Europe (another hearth outside Near East) about 7000 BC

domesticated forms in Anatolia about 6500 BC and make up major percentage of animal diet at Catal Hüyük by 6000 BC

important because provided meat, milk, hides, labor

first evidence of domesticated pigs about 6000-7000 BC but were never a major food source

early evidence in Anatolia at about 7000 BC

by 6000 BC pig remains are 20-30% of diet at many large sites

after 2400 BC pig use declines sharply due to religious beliefs

not as desirable as sheep, goats, and cattle, which can digest cellulose foods humans can't, but pigs may have been kept for dietary variety and can eat human refuse

PLANT DOMESTICATION

TRENDS

important domesticates were *wheat, *barley, legumes (peas, lentils, chickpeas, bitter vetch), nuts (almond, pistachio, oak/acorn), fruits (olives, grapes, dates, figs)

first possible cultigens are grasses at Shanidar site dated to 9000 BC

definite domesticated forms of wheat and barley as early as 8400 BC

domesticated plants used extensively on Mesopotamian floodplain before Zagros Mtns

domesticated plants throughout Levant about 8000 BC

Wild grasses, some species of which became domesticated.

SPECIES

wheat was first domesticated grain crop

first evidence of domesticated wheat in Levant

Jericho by 8400-7400 BC (may have come from Jordan)

wheat appears in Syria by about 8000 BC

wheat varieties include einkorn (bread) and emmer


Varieties of domesticated wheat:
einkorn, emmer.


Domesticated emmer wheat.

first evidence of domesticated barley in Levant and Mesopotamia

tough-axis barley at Jericho by 8400-7400 BC (from Jordan?)

tough-axis barley at Beidha in Levant at about 7000 BC

tough-axis barley at Ali Kosh in lower Mesopotamia at about 7000 BC

six-rowed barley at Ali Kosh by about 6000 BC


Grains of domesticated barley.

peas probably domesticated in open oak forest areas of Near East

first evidence of lentils in Anatolia by 7000 BC

chickpeas probably domesticated in Levant and southeast Turkey

bitter vetch probably in Anatolia, probably only a backup food

olives, grapes and figs probably domesticated in Anatolia or Levant

dates probably domesticated in lower Mesopotamia during Jemdet Nasr Period

orchards about 3000 BC

GENERAL TRENDS

general trend was early villages  --> domestication  -->  advanced sedentism  -->  food production

there is an important difference between domesticating plants and animals and food production, or coming to rely on them for majority of one's diet; transition took several thousand years

in general, established village farming widespread by 6500-5000 BC

LEVANT AREA

early emphasis was on sedentism instead of food production, cattle over sheep/goats

stock breeding provides 60% of diet in Levant by 6500 BC

farming quite variable throughout Levant by 6000 BC

village farming/herding sites in Levant included Abu Hureyra (southern Syria), where farming dominated by 7500-5000 BC

ZAGROS / MESOPOTAMIA AREA

early emphasis on food production instead of sedentism, sheep and goats over cattle

farming earlier in lowlands; herding earlier in mountains

village farming/herding sites in Mesopotamia/Zagros:

1. Tel Mureybit (Syria)

one of earliest agricultural settlements in Near East
 
village farming by 8000 BC, mostly wheat and barley

2. Ali Kosh (Mesopotamia)

village by 8000 BC

farming and herding tradition for 2000 years

3. Ganj Dareh (Zagros)

7000 BC goat and cattle herding well established

4. Jarmo (Zagros)

long occupation but village by 5000 BC

farming and herding made up 80% of the diet

farming and herding begins about 7500 BC

regular cattle herding by 5800 BC

village sites in Anatolia:

1. Cayönü

by 6700 BC increased reliance on domesticates, esp. sheep, grains

2. Hacilar

village by 6500 BC; evidence of dog and grain use

3. Catal Hüyük

village by 6500-6000 BC

cattle important as evidenced by fertility shrines

Redman, Charles L.
1978  The Rise of Civilization. W.H. Freeman, San Fransisco.