The Natufian Culture in the Levant

Book excerpt: This large volume presents virtually all aspects of the Epipalaeolithic Natufian culture in a series of chapters that cover recent results of field work, analyses of materials and sites, and synthetic or interpretive overviews of various aspects of this important prehistoric culture. ..".essential reading and an important reference for archaeologists interested in the origins of agriculture." - Daniel E. Lieberman. Contents: O. Bar-Yosef and F.R. Valla, The Natufian Culture - An Introduction; U. Baruch and S. Bottema, Palynological evidence for climatic changes in the Levant ca, 17,000-9,000 B.P.; A. Leroi-Gourhan and F. Darmon, Analyses polliniques de stations natoufiennes au Proche-Orient; L. Copeland, Natufian sites in Lebanon; B. Schroeder, Natufian in the Central Beqaa Valley, Lebanon; O. Bar-Yosef, The archaeology of the Natufian layer at Hayonim Cave; F.R. Valla, F. Le Mort and H. Plisson, Les fouilles en cours sur la Terrasse d'Hayonim; F.R. Valla, Les Natoufiens de Mallaha et l'espace; P. Edwards, Wadi Hammeh 27: An Early Natufian site at Pella, Jordan; A. Ronen and M. Lechevallier, The Natufian of Hatula; P.J. Crabtree, D.V. Campana, A. Belfer-Cohen and D.E. Bar-Yosef, First results of the excavations at Salibiya I, lower Jordan Valley; A.N. Goring-Morris, The Harifian of the southern Levant; A. Betts, The Late Epipaleolithic in the Black Desert, eastern Jordan; A.N. Garrard, Natufian settlement in the Azraq Basin, eastern Jordan; B.F. Byrd, Beidha: An Early Natufian encampment in southern Jordan; B.F. Byrd and S.M. Colledge, Early Natufian occupation along the edge of the southern Jordanian Steppe; A.M.T. Moore, Abu Hureyra 1 and the antecedents of agriculture on the Middle Euphrates; M.C. Cauvin, Du Natoufien au Levant nord? Jayroud et Mureybet (Syrie); E. Tchernov, Biological evidence for human sedentism in Southwest Asia during the Natufian; C. Cope, Gazelle hunting strategies in the southern Levant; D. Helmer, Etude de la faune de la phase IA (Natoufien final) de Tell Mureybet (Syrie), fouilles Cauvin; J. Pichon, Les oiseaux au Natoufien, avifaune et sedentarite; S.J.M. Davis, When and why did prehistoric people domesticate animals? Some evidence from Israel and Cyprus; S.M. Colledge, Investigations of plant remains preserved in Epipaleolithic sites in the Near East; A. Sillen and J.A. Lee-Thorpe, Dietary change in the Late Natufian; A. Belfer-Cohen, L.A. Schepartz and B. Arensburg, New biological data for the Natufian populations in Israel; P. Smith, The dental evidence for nutritional stress in the Natufians; D.I. Olszewski, The lithic evidence from Abu Hureyra I, in Syria; J. Sellars, An examination of lithics from the Wadi Judayid Site; D. Campana, Bone implements from Hayonim Cave: Some relevant issues; D. Stordeur, Le Natoufien et son evolution a travers les artefacts en os; R. Unger-Hamilton, Natufian plant husbandry in the southern Levant and comparison with that of the Neolithic Periods: The lithic perspective; P. Anderson, Harvesting wild cereals during the Natufian as seen from the experimental cultivation and harvest of wild einkorn wheat and microwear analysis of stone tools; T. Noy, Art and decoration of the Natufian at Nahal Oren; A. Belfer-Cohen, Art items from layer B, Hayonim Cave: A case study of art in a Natufian context; C. Marechal, Elements de parure de la fin du Natoufien: Mallaha niveau I, Jayroud 1, Jayroud 3, Jayroud 9, Abu Hureyra et Mureybet IA; D.S. Reese, Marine shells in the Levant: Upper Paleolithic, Epipaleolithic, and Neolithic; D.E. Bar-Yosef, Changes in the selection of marine shells from the Natufian to the Neolithic; C. Perles and J. Phillips, The Natufian Conference - Discussion