Humans and fire: Changing relations in early agricultural and built environments in the Zagros, Iran, Iraq

Abstract

Fire-centred studies have recently been highlighted as powerful avenues for investigation of energy flows and relations between humans, materials, environments and other species. The aim in this paper is to evaluate this potential first by reviewing the diverse theories and methods that can be applied to investigate the ecological and social significance of anthropogenic fire, and second by applying these to new and existing data sets in archaeology. This paper examines how fire-centred approaches can inform on one of the most significant step-changes in human lifeways and interrelations with environment and other species -the transition from mobile hunting-gathering to more sedentary agriculture in a key heartland of change, the Zagros region of Iraq and Iran, c. 12,000-8,000 BP. In the review and case studies multiple links are investigated between human fire use and environment, ecology, energy use, technology, the built environment, health, social roles and relations, cultural practices and catastrophic events.

Early- and middle-Holocene wood exploitation in the Fayum basin, Egypt

“…This is in keeping with earlier arguments for low-level food production in the Fayum (Holdaway et al, 2010) and indicates the enduring importance of local ecosystem services, such as fish and riparian woodlands, rather than extensive niche construction to promote a novel agricultural system (cf. Matthews, 2016;Smith, 2011Smith, , 2014Sullivan and Forste, 2014).…”

Pre‐Pottery Clay Innovation in the Zagros Foothills

“…Across south‐west Asia, people shared common practices of house construction, applying fired lime and pigments throughout living spaces (Godleman et al . ; W. Matthews ).…”

“…This malleable, adaptable material was transformed to serve a range of purposes, for cooking, constructing, roofing and plastering (Richardson ; Iversen ; Godleman et al . ; W. Matthews ). Lining the walls of cooking pits and the base of hearths, fire‐hardened clays provided infrastructure for the inhabitants of the Neolithic settlement at Bestansur.…”

“…Hundreds of kilometres from the sea, people incorporated sea shells such as cowries and dentalium into mortuary rituals. Across south-west Asia, people shared common practices of house construction, applying fired lime and pigments throughout living spaces (Godleman et al 2016;W. Matthews 2016).…”

“…The use of clays was not reserved for the shaping of small objects at Bestansur; it pervaded all avenues of activity. This malleable, adaptable material was transformed to serve a range of purposes, for cooking, constructing, roofing and plastering (Richardson 2014;Iversen 2015;Godleman et al 2016;W. Matthews 2016).…”