Domestication and Early Societies in the Middle East

These flashcards cover the key concepts from the lecture about the domestication of crops and animals, climate changes during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, and the societal adaptations of early peoples in the Middle East.

What crops were domesticated in the Middle East?

Wheat, barley, peas, lentils, chickpeas, and flax.

What animals were domesticated in the Middle East?

Sheep, goats, and cattle.

What climate changes occurred during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition in the Middle East?

Transition from cold and dry (Late Pleistocene) to warm and wet (Early Holocene), with extreme seasonality and greenlands/forests.

How did the Natufian people adapt to environmental changes?

They became sedentary, lived in villages, relied on gathered nuts and wild grains, and hunted migratory gazelle.

What characterizes the Kebaran culture?

Highly mobile hunter-gatherers with small groups and low population density focused on medium game.

What are key features of the Natufian culture?

Sedentary hunter-gatherers living in villages, storing nuts and grains, and hunting migratory gazelle.

What type of site was Ain Mallaha?

A Natufian village site with three superimposed villages that housed up to 150 people.

What did the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) people focus on?

Maintaining a Natufian lifestyle with hunting, gathering, and rapid domestication of wild grains.

What changes occurred during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB)?

Increased reliance on agriculture and domestication of sheep, goats, and cattle.

What was significant about the site of Netiv Hagdud?

It was a PPNA site with oval-shaped houses, granaries, hearths, and evidence of domesticated grain use.

How did domesticated wheat and barley differ from wild types?

Domesticated varieties had semi-tough rachis and larger grain sizes.

How long did it take to create the first domesticated wheat and barley?

Domesticated wheat could appear in 2-20 years, with full domestication taking around 20-30 years.

What factors contributed to the shift from hunting and gathering to farming in the Early Holocene?

Decline in health, population pressures, climate changes, and the need for sustainable food sources.

What was the impact of the Younger Dryas on agricultural practices?

It caused a return to cold, dry conditions, leading to a decline in wild wheat and barley and prompting some groups to revisit hunting while others intensified farming.