In 2016, an extraordinary burial of a young adult individual was discovered at the Late Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (LPPNB, 7,500–6,900 BCE) settlement of Baʻja in southern Jordan. This burial has exceptional grave goods and an elaborate grave construction. It suggests discussing anew reconstructions of early Neolithic social structures. In this article, we will summarize former theories on the emergence of leadership and hierarchies and present a multivariate model according to which anthropological and archaeological data of the burial will be analyzed. In conclusion, we surmise that early Neolithic hierarchization in southern Jordan was based on corporate pathways to power rather than self-interested aggrandizers. However, some aspects of the burial point to regional exchange networks of prestige goods, a trait considered characteristic of network based leadership. In line with anthropological and sociological research, we argue that pathways to power should be considered as relational processes that can be understood only when comparing traits of the outstanding person to her/his social environment.
A 'Ain Rahub (Jordanie septentrionale), un sondage de 16 m2 a permis de mettre au jour des vestiges de structures circulaires en pierre. Deux niveaux d'occupation ont été distingués. L'industrie lithique associée, homogène, permet de placer ce site sur l'horizon final du Natoufien.
We present preliminary information on a production area for clay geometric objects and figurines recovered from the Late PPNB site Es-Sifiya in, southern Jordan. The area contained the products of a single manufacturing event: 475 complete and fragmentary animal and "human" figurines, geometries, and fired discarded modeling waste. The geometric objects found in this hitherto unique primary context are discussed with respect to formal analysis, including metric data, and the possible symbolism of their context.
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