New Study Rewrites History of Stone Age Architecture in Near East

A new study published in Archaeological Research in Asia determined that the advancement of Stone Age archaeology in the Near East happened much earlier—and was more nuanced and complex—than previously believed. Computer analysis of prehistoric remains in the region revealed “significant advances in building technology” during the Natufian and early Neolithic periods.

The Stone Age, a prehistoric period that lasted over 3 million years, represents about 99% of human history thus far. It ended between 4000 BCE and 2000 BCE when the advent of metalworking ushered in the Bronze Age in the Near East and beyond. It was previously believed that architecture in the Near East made a gradual linear progression from round to rectangular structures towards the end of the Stone Age, during the Neolithic Period, which spanned from 10,000 BCE to 2200 BCE. However, the new study shows that advanced architectural elements, such as structures with right angles, first appeared during the earlier Natufian Period, which spanned from 12,500 BCE to 9500 BC in the ancient Near East.

The study, led by researchers from the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, used a novel computational method for quantifying the two-dimensional morphology of structures. The team digitized and analyzed the remains of 120 Stone Age structures from 23 archaeological sites across the Mediterranean region and Jordan Valley. The results suggest “significant advances in building technology” during the Natufian and early Neolithic periods in the Near East—a time when permanent settlements and agricultural economies were growing, but building practices weren’t as uniform as in the later Neolithic period.

What Does Stone Age Architecture Tell Us?

The study authors wrote, “Our results show that there is considerably more variability than can be subsumed in the traditional ‘round to rectangular’ scheme of architectural development.” The authors also cited the importance of using contemporary analytical tools to enhance archaeological investigations. “Our computational methodology offers a repeatable and objective lens to analyze architectural history,” they explained. Previous research on Stone Age architecture in the Near East relied on a qualitative analytical approach.

The fact that archaeological advancements happened earlier than previously thought sheds new light on Near Eastern society and technology during the Stone Age. “Changes and variation in the shape of architectural remains have often been tied to changes in social structure and organization, demography, hierarchy, subsistence, mobility and more,” the study authors explained. A wide variety of structures indicates an era of innovation and experimentation amongst Stone Age humans. The shapes of structures become more standardized as permanent settlements and burgeoning agricultural economies codify construction across communities.