Purpose: Reconstructing ancient lifestyles using limited evidence like bones, artifacts, and habitation ruins.
Researcher: Theya Molleson, paleontologist at the Natural History Museum in London.
Study Location: Abu Hureyra, northern Syria, with archaeological excavations conducted in 1972-1973 before the site was flooded by the Tabqa dam.
Key Study: Andrew M. T. Moore's work as outlined in "A Pre-Neolithic Farmers' Village on the Euphrates" (Scientific American, August 1979).
Skeletal Findings
Skeletal Remains: 162 individuals identified from excavations: 75 children and 87 adults (including 44 females, 27 males, and 16 of undetermined sex).
Time Span: Deposits span about 3,000 years, providing insights into both pre-agricultural and early agricultural practices.
Objective: Investigate the bones for insights into daily life and transitions from hunting-gathering societies to agricultural economies.
Signs of Daily Life
Bone Changes: Bones show signs of disease and wear from life activities.
Early Neolithic Settlements
Two Occupations:
First Occupation (circa 11,500 to 10,000 years ago):
People gathered wild seeds (lentils, einkorn, rye, barley, etc.) and hunted migrating gazelles.
Second Occupation:
Followed a 200-year hiatus with evidence of early agriculture—cultivation of cereals (emmer, oats, barley) including significant preparation work.
Labor and Its Impact on Skeletons
Physical Strain:
Signs of heavy lifting and carrying loads, especially game, grain, and building materials.
Changes observed primarily in young individuals' upper vertebrae, suggesting heavy labor.
Potential loads likely carried on the head; vertebrae adaptations for support observed.
Pathological Findings
Degenerative Changes:
Collapsed vertebrae and arthritic big toes due to labor-intensive activities.
Muscle development reflected in well-defined arms and legs.
Grinding Activities
Kneeling Injuries:
Analysis suggested prolonged kneeling while grinding grain on saddle querns caused specific bone deformities and stresses.
Skeletal evidence indicates injuries associated with manual grinding of grain—considerable wear on knees, vertebrae, and toes.
Task Description:
Women carried out grain grinding for several hours daily, leading to characteristic injuries and joint damage.
Skeletal Deformations from Grinding
Impact on Bones:
Enhanced development of deltoid and biceps muscles in arms due to repetitive grinding motions.
Distinct morphological changes on femurs and knees as well as injuries to the last dorsal vertebra due to grinding mechanics.
Culmination of Labor Strains:
Evidence of osteoarthritis and wearing down of toes due to hyperflexion while working.
Social and Gender Roles
Division of Labor:
Analysis suggests females primarily engaged in grain preparation tasks, while males likely participated in hunting and cultivating crops.
Reflects a labor division not necessarily tied to social inequality but rather to specialization of tasks.
Dietary Effects
Grain Preparation Outcomes:
Coarse, unrefined grain produced a hard meal, leading to dental wear and fractures.
Observations of significant wear on teeth due to unrefined flour and insufficient sorting of grains before grinding.
Dental caries, while rare, were observed, likely tied to the type of food being consumed.
Advancements in Technology
Modern Comparisons:
Similarities noted with modern manual grain processing techniques and their impact on health.
Introduction and improvement in food preparation methods, including potential introduction of sieves to reduce tooth damage.
Craft Specialization and Economy
Development of Crafts:
Evidence of basket making suggests adaptation and refinement of skills to meet community demands.
Baskets may have been used for grain storage and processing, which would align with the emergence of specialized labor.
Pottery Introduction
Technological Shift:
Pottery introduced around 7,300 years ago; allowed for better food preparation and preservation.
Cooking grains led to softer textures that reduced dental wear and improved nutrition, which in turn influenced fertility rates and population structures.
Conclusion
Abandonment of Abu Hureyra:
Likely factors include disease, famine, or climate change—though society remained egalitarian in burial practices.
Increasing complexity in roles suggests a gradual shift towards more defined social structures as seen in later agricultural societies.