The Early PPNB in The North Levant : A New Perspective from Tell Ain el-Kerkh, Northwest Syria

Abstract

The recent discovery of EPPNB occupation at Tell Ain el-Kerkh (ca 9 400-9 200 uncal. BP) in northwest Syria provides a new perspective of the early stage of Neolithisation in the north Levant. The archaeological evidence from Kerkh shows first that the earliest Neolithic occupation in northwest Syria goes back to the EPPNB period and revises the generally accepted hypothesis that the Neolithisation in this region started in the LPPNB. In addition, the narrow naviform cores and Aswad points evidenced at Kerkh appear to be chronological markers of this period and imply the existence of other earlier PPNB sites in northwest Syria. When comparing the subsistence economy and the chipped stone industry of Kerkh with those of other contemporary sites, regional variations between the EPPNB sites become clear and possibly indicate the importance of local traditions in the development of the PPNB cultural horizon. Discovery of an EPPNB site in northwest Syria is also interesting in considering the origin of Cypriot PPN culture, but at the moment direct relationships between Kerkh and Cypriot PPN sites are rare.