Download or read book Pastoralism in the Levant written by Ofer Bar-Yosef and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The last decades have brought to light many archaeological discoveries relevant to the study of prehistoric pastoralism in the Near East. The renewed interest in pastoralists, who often solely occupied the semi-arid region, arose amongst archaeologists when the origins of agriculture, especially the cultivation of cereals and legumes and the domestication of goats and sheep, attracted attention. Excavations of Late Paleolithic and Early Neolithic sites in the Levant and the hilly flanks of the Taurus and Zagros, have demonstrated that the information drawn from sites in the 'sown land' is insufficient to clarify the Near Eastern origins of animal husbandry and incipient pastoralism. The lack of evidence from the Syro-Arabian desert and Sinai has distorted our understanding of socioeconomic regional developments. A partial correction is now provided by the efforts of those archaeologists who have published the results of surveys and excavations over the last fifteen years. The available data sets indicate that the potential for studying the origin of pastoralism definitely lies in this vast region. The accumulation of archaeological, zoological, and botanical evidence since the late 1950s has enabled new hypotheses concerning the emergence of early food-producing economies and the incipient phases of animal domestication and husbandry. ... In this prehistoric context, the origin of pastoralism in general and of pastoral nomadism in particular, together with their relationship to other types of food-producing economies, has already been examined. Therefore, it seemed to us that the time had come to concentrate on three levels: (a) to summarize in broad outline the present knowledge of prehistoric forms of pastoralism in the Levant, (b) to attempt the more challenging task of integrating different archaeological, anthropological, and historical approaches, and to offer a comprehensive or alternative explanatory model of the origins of pastoralism, and (c) to try to understand the intricate relationships between pastoral and agrarian-urban societies, based mainly on the archaeological records of the region. We did not of course expect that all the various anthropological, archaeological and archaeozoological problems surrounding this issue could be resolved. However, we hoped that by bringing together the data and ideas of contemporary scholars we might be able to formulate better questions."--

Download or read book Revolutions in the Desert written by Steven Rosen and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2016-11-25 with total page 331 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Multi-Resource Nomadism, Core and Periphery, and the Rise of Economic Asymmetry

Download or read book Near Eastern Archaeology written by Suzanne Richard and published by Eisenbrauns. This book was released on 2003 with total page 506 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Annotation Filling a gap in classroom texts, more than 60 essays by major scholars in the field have been gathered to create the most up-to-date and complete book available on Levantine and Near Eastern archaeology. The book is divided into two sections: "Theory, Method, and Context," and "Cultural Phases and Topics," which together provide both methodological and areal coverage of the subject. The text is complemented by many line drawings and photographs. Includes a foreword by W.G. Dever.

Download or read book A Companion to the Ancient Near East written by Daniel C. Snell and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2020-02-19 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The new edition of the popular survey of Near Eastern civilization from the Bronze Age to the era of Alexander the Great A Companion to the Ancient Near East explores the history of the region from 4400 BCE to the Macedonian conquest of the Persian Empire in 330 BCE. Original and revised essays from a team of distinguished scholars from across disciplines address subjects including the politics, economics, architecture, and heritage of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series, this acclaimed single-volume reference combines lively writing with engaging and relatable topics to immerse readers in this fascinating period of Near East history. The new second edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to include new developments in relevant fields, particularly archaeology, and expand on themes of interest to contemporary students. Clear, accessible chapters offer fresh discussions on the history of the family and gender roles, the literature, languages, and religions of the region, pastoralism, medicine and philosophy, and borders, states, and warfare. New essays highlight recent discoveries in cuneiform texts, investigate how modern Egyptians came to understand their ancient history, and examine the place of archaeology among the historical disciplines. This volume: Provides substantial new and revised content covering topics such as social conflict, kingship, cosmology, work, trade, and law Covers the civilizations of the Sumerians, Hittites, Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Israelites, and Persians, emphasizing social and cultural history Examines the legacy of the Ancient Near East in the medieval and modern worlds Offers a uniquely broad geographical, chronological, and topical range Includes a comprehensive bibliographical guide to Ancient Near East studies as well as new and updated references and reading suggestions Suitable for use as both a primary reference or as a supplement to a chronologically arranged textbook, A Companion to the Ancient Near East, 2nd Edition is a valuable resource for advanced undergraduates, beginning graduate students, instructors in the field, and scholars from other disciplines.

Download or read book An Investigation into Early Desert Pastoralism written by Steven A. Rosen and published by Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press. This book was released on 2011-10-11 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Negev focuses on two primary purposes, one theoretical/methodological and the second substantive. Briefly stated, the book comprises a case study of excavations at an early (ca. 2800 B.C.) pastoral site in the Negev, providing detailed analyses and a synthetic overview of a seasonal encampment from this early period in the evolution of desert pastoral societies. It thus both demonstrates the feasibility of an archaeology of early mobile pastoralism and grapples with the basic anthropological and methodological issues surrounding the subject. Substantively, both the architectural and material culture assemblages uncovered constitute the first detailed analysis of this early desert culture and include materials previously unreported for the region and period. Historically, the Camel Site is placed in a larger perspective of the beginnings of multiresource nomadism in relation to the rise of complex societies.

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of the Levant written by Margreet L. Steiner and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2014-01-16 with total page 912 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Handbook aims to serve as a research guide to the archaeology of the Levant, an area situated at the crossroads of the ancient world that linked the eastern Mediterranean, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. The Levant as used here is a historical geographical term referring to a large area which today comprises the modern states of Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, western Syria, and Cyprus, as well as the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and the Sinai Peninsula. Unique in its treatment of the entire region, it offers a comprehensive overview and analysis of the current state of the archaeology of the Levant within its larger cultural, historical, and socio-economic contexts. The Handbook also attempts to bridge the modern scholarly and political divide between archaeologists working in this highly contested region. Written by leading international scholars in the field, it focuses chronologically on the Neolithic through Persian periods - a time span during which the Levant was often in close contact with the imperial powers of Egypt, Anatolia, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia. This volume will serve as an invaluable reference work for those interested in a contextualised archaeological account of this region, beginning with the 'agricultural revolution' until the conquest of Alexander the Great that marked the end of the Persian period.

Download or read book Mobile Pastoralism and the Formation of Near Eastern Civilizations written by Anne Porter and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2012-03-26 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the roles of mobile and sedentary members of the ancient world in ancient Mesopotamia.

Download or read book Le David Maskil written by Richard Elliot Friedman and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2004-06-30 with total page 119 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For the past half-century, David Noel Freedman has had an enormous impact on the study of the Bible, both as an author and as an editor of the writings of others. As his colleagues note in their comments at the beginning of this volume, “You are quintessentially the man of the book. And perhaps what impresses us most is that your bibliography of hundreds of books is not limited to the extraordinary number of important books that you’ve written yourself. It also contains the books that you’ve edited for others. And we know what it means to have David Noel Freedman as one’s editor. For every page of manuscript that the author sends you, you send back almost an equal number of pages of advice, criticism, corrections, and improvements. You can make a bad book good, and a good book better. And you can make its author a better scholar and a better writer.” In this volume, his compatriots at the University of California, San Diego, contribute eight varied essays in celebration of his impact on them and in honor of his varied contributions to biblical studies.

Download or read book War in Human Civilization written by Azar Gat and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2008-03-26 with total page 839 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why do people go to war? Is it rooted in human nature or is it a late cultural invention? How does war relate to the other fundamental developments in the history of human civilization? And what of war today - is it a declining phenomenon or simply changing its shape? In this truly global study of war and civilization, Azar Gat sets out to find definitive answers to these questions in an attempt to unravel the 'riddle of war' throughout human history, from the early hunter-gatherers right through to the unconventional terrorism of the twenty-first century. In the process, the book generates an astonishing wealth of original and fascinating insights on all major aspects of humankind's remarkable journey through the ages, engaging a wide range of disciplines, from anthropology and evolutionary psychology to sociology and political science. Written with remarkable verve and clarity and wholly free from jargon, it will be of interest to anyone who has ever pondered the puzzle of war.

Download or read book Flint Trade in the Protohistoric Levant written by Francesca Manclossi and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-09-09 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Flint Trade in the Protohistoric Levant offers an in-depth case study of the production and exchange of tabular scrapers. Crossing cultural and ecological boundaries and traded from the desert to the settled zone, these tools encompassed both ritual and quotidian functions over the course of well over the two millennia of the existence of the exchange system. Analyses focus on the changing nature of the production systems, dynamics of value in changing contexts of production and use, ritual contexts and meaning. Extending throughout the Levant, the tabular scraper complex is compared and contrasted to other contemporary production and exchange systems (ceramics, chipped stone, ground stone, copper, beads), offering a rich picture of the complexities of late prehistoric trade, transcending linear evolutionary frameworks, and simple models. Adopting a chaîne opératoire approach to the use-life of the artifacts, the artifacts can be seen to transform over time and place, made, used, recycled, and ultimately discarded, each stage in its own cultural contexts. The rise and decline of this exchange complex reflects both the geo-political history of the region and the general role of lithic industries in these societies. Focusing on late prehistoric times in the Near East, the discussions will of relevance to all researchers interested in the role of exchange in the evolution of complex economies. It offers an analysis of exchange systems based on a matrix of factors which should be of interest to all researchers interested in the evolution of trade.

Download or read book The Archaeology of Society in the Holy Land written by Thomas Evan Levy and published by Burns & Oates. This book was released on 1998 with total page 648 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This comprehensive and highly illustrated study explores the human history in the Holy Land, from the earliest prehistoric hominids, through the biblical and historical periods, up to the twentieth century. Chronologically organized, each chapter outlines the major cultural transitions which occurred in a given archaeological period and provides a review of the most recent research concerning settlement patterns, innovations and technology, religion and ideology, and social organization.

Download or read book Land Use Land Cover and Soil Sciences Volume V written by Willy H. Verheye and published by EOLSS Publications. This book was released on 2009-09-19 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Encyclopedia of Land Use, Land Cover and Soil Sciences is a component of the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. Land is one of our most precious assets. It represents space, provides food and shelter, stores and filters water, and it is a base for urban and industrial development, road construction, leisure and many other social activities. Land is, however not unlimited in extent, and even when it is physically available its use is not necessarily free, either because of natural limitations (too cold, too steep, too wet or too dry, etc.) or because of constraints of access or land tenure. This 7-volume set contains several chapters, each of size 5000-30000 words, with perspectives, applications and extensive illustrations. It carries state-of-the-art knowledge in the fields of Land Use, Land Cover and Soil Sciences and is aimed, by virtue of the several applications, at the following five major target audiences: University and College Students, Educators, Professional Practitioners, Research Personnel and Policy Analysts, Managers, and Decision Makers and NGOs.

Download or read book Defining the Sacred written by Nicola Laneri and published by Oxbow Books. This book was released on 2015-05-08 with total page 197 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Religion is a phenomenon that is inseparable from human society. It brings about a set of emotional, ideological and practical elements that are pervasive in the social fabric of any society and characterizable by a number of features. These include the establishment of intermediaries in the relationship between humans and the divine; the construction of ceremonial places for worshipping the gods and practicing ritual performances; and the creation ritual paraphernalia. Investigating the religious dimensions of ancient societies encounters problems in defining such elements, especially with regard to societies that lack textual evidences and has tended to lead towards the identification of differentiation between the mental dimension, related to religious beliefs, and the material one associated with religious practices, resulting in a separation between scholars able to investigate, and possibly reconstruct, ritual practices (i.e., archaeologists), and those interested in defining the realm of ancient beliefs (i.e., philologists and religious historians). The aim of this collection of papers is to attempt to bridge these two dimensions by breaking down existing boundaries in order to form a more comprehensive vision of religion among ancient Near Eastern societies. This approach requires that a higher consideration be given to those elements (either artificial -- buildings, objects, texts, etc. -- or natural -- landscapes, animals, trees, etc.) that are created through a materialization of religious beliefs and practices enacted by members of communities. These issues are addressed in a series of specific case-studies covering a broad chronological framework that from the Pre-pottery Neolithic to the Iron Age. (Cover illustration © German Archaeological Institute, photo N. Becker)

Download or read book Ancient Canaan and Israel written by Jonathan M. Golden and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2004-11-22 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It's the cradle of civilization, the wellspring of three of the world's most powerful faiths, a place where vestiges of the ancient past remain vibrantly alive today—but what do we really know about the day-to-day lives and defining culture of the people of Israel and Canaan? Ancient Canaan and Israel takes readers beyond the scriptural portrayals of the region and into the everyday lives of Canaanites and Israelites. It draws on recently discovered archaeological evidence and fresh interpretations of biblical and extrabiblical texts to show how archaeologists and other researchers reconstruct the many facets of these civilizations—political, geographic, social, economic, religious, technological, and aesthetic. For experienced scholars or enthusiastic newcomers, it is an enlightening portrayal of the people and the land of Canaan and Israel, which traces many well-known spiritual and cultural traditions back to their ancient roots. It is also an objective introduction to a number of much-debated topics, such as the fate of the Canaanite cultures, the origins of the Israelites, and the historical accuracy of the Bible.

Download or read book Tell Toqaan A Syrian Village written by Louise E. Sweet and published by U OF M MUSEUM ANTHRO ARCHAEOLOGY. This book was released on 1974 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Wars in Syria and Palestine of Thutmose III written by Donald Bruce Redford and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2003-08-01 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thutmose III’s (15th c. B.C.) suitable and sensible new policy lay the basis for Egypt’s empire in Syria and Palestine. Main source of our knowledge on this formative period stems from the so-called Annals of this king in the inner chambers of the great Karnak temple of Amun. Part One contains a new collation of these Annals, along with a hand-copy of the inscription, textual analysis and commentary. In Part Two the reader will find new translations together with commentary on additional sources bearing on the wars: the king’s speeches, royal encomia, and private biographies. The volume concludes with an historical commentary, and places the wars in their historical context. A comprehensive, illuminating and accessible assessment of Egypt’s policy in Syria and Palestine.

Download or read book The Levant in Transition No 4 written by P.J. Parr and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-12-13 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The latter part of the 3rd millennium BC witnessed severe dislocations in the social, economic and political structures of the lands at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea - the Levant. In the south, in what is now Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Jordan, hitherto thriving urban centres disappeared, to be replaced for several centuries