Estimating population parameters of early villages in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic central and southern Levant
An understanding of population dynamics is essential for reconstructing the trajectories of central and southern Levantine Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN) villages during the Neolithic Demographic Transition (NDT). Whilst pre-existing population estimates of PPN villages have made a valuable contribution to our understanding of the Neolithic, these are based on limited methodological and theoretical frameworks, reducing the efficacy of these estimates for exploring the relationship between demographic parameters and socio-cultural development during this period. The aim of this investigation is to derive more empirically and statistically robust absolute demographic data than currently exist and to produce a more precise chronology of population size, density and growth of these early villages. Several methodologies are explored, including those based on dwelling unit size and dwelling number; residential floor area per person; population density; and allometric growth formulae. The newly devised storage provisions formulae, based on the space available for sleeping individuals within structures, was found to be the most robust and viable method. A major contribution of this research is the production of precise
Birch-Chapman, Shannon
Estimating population parameters of early villages in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic central and southern Levant. An understanding of population dynamics is essential for reconstructing the trajectories of central and southern Levantine Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN) villages during the Neolithic Demographic Transition (NDT). Whilst pre-existing population estimates of PPN villages have made a valuable contribution to our understanding of the Neolithic, these are based on limited methodological and theoretical frameworks, reducing the efficacy of these estimates for exploring the relationship between demographic parameters and socio-cultural development during this period. The aim of this investigation is to derive more empirically and statistically robust absolute demographic data than currently exist and to produce a more precise chronology of population size, density and growth of these early villages. Several methodologies are explored, including those based on dwelling unit size and dwelling number; residential floor area per person; population density; and allometric growth formulae. The newly devised storage provisions formulae, based on the space available for sleeping individuals within structures, was found to be the most robust and viable method. A major contribution of this research is the production of precise
population parameter early village pre_pottery neolithic central_southern levant population_dynamic essential reconstruct trajectory central_southern levantine pre pottery neolithic villages neolithic demographic transition whilst pre_existing population estimate village make valuable neolithic base limited methodological_theoretical framework reduce efficacy estimate explore_relationship demographic parameter socio_cultural development period aim investigation derive empirically statistically robust absolute demographic data currently exist produce precise chronology population size density growth early village several methodology explore include base dwell unit size dwell number residential floor area per person population_density growth formula newly devise storage provision formulae base space available individual_within structure find robust viable method major production precise