The Late PPNB “World” Systems in Northern Mesopotamia and South Levant: agglomeration, control of long distance exchange and the transition of early religious centers to central villages

During the Aceramic Neolithic (PPN) period, central villages of 10 to 15 hectares emerged as key nodes in long-distance trade networks across Northern Mesopotamia and the South Levant. These villages, such as Basta, Beisamoun, and ‘Ain Ghazal, consolidated during the Late PPNB phase, transforming local hierarchies, economic interdependencies, and rituals through extensive contact with Eastern and Central Anatolian societies. The study, based on archaeological evidence including obsidian trade routes, suggests that these interactions accelerated societal changes, such as the decline of Göbekli Tepe around mid PPNB. The research highlights how these 'World' systems operated through terrestrial and maritime routes, facilitating complex economic and cultural exchanges.

Gil Fuensanta, J., & Mederos Martín, A. (2018). The Late PPNB “World” Systems in Northern Mesopotamia and South Levant: agglomeration, control of long distance exchange and the transition of early religious centers to central villages. Núm. 3 (2018) Homenaje a La Profesora Isabel Rubio de Miguel. https://doi.org/10.15366/ane3.rubio2018.004