What was life like during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A?

The Pre-Pottery Neolithic A represents the earliest stage of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic in the Levant and Upper Mesopotamia, dating from about 12,000 to 10,800 years ago. During this era, people lived in tiny circular mud-brick dwellings, cultivated crops, and practiced unique burial customs such as placing bodies beneath house floors. As the name indicates, pottery was not yet in use during this formative cultural stage.

What we know

• The Pre-Pottery Neolithic A dates back approximately 12,000 to 10,800 years ago, spanning from 10,000 to 8800 BCE. [2]
• Archaeological remains of the PPNA are located in the Levantine and Upper Mesopotamian regions of the Fertile Crescent. [2]
• The culture is characterized by tiny circular mud-brick dwellings, crop cultivation, wild game hunting, and burials beneath dwelling floors. [2]
• British archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon originally defined the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A at its type site in Jericho. [2, 4]

Where to go next

• whenWhat followed the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A?
• whoWho was Kathleen Kenyon?
• what caused itHow did the Natufian culture influence the Neolithic?
• a case in pointWhat archaeological discoveries were made at Jericho?
• the bigger pictureWhat defined the broader Neolithic Revolution?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a cold spell end the early Neolithic?The Pre-Pottery Neolithic culture ultimately came to an end around the time of the 8.2-kiloyear event, a major cool spell lasting several hundred years.

Sources

• [1]Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (Wikidata Q1047444) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Pre-Pottery Neolithic A · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Pre-Pottery Neolithic · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Pre-Pottery Neolithic B · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Neolithic · CC BY-SA 4.0