The diffusion of Neolithic practices from Anatolia to Europe : a contextual study of residential and construction practices 8,500-5,500 BC cal
Ever since Vere Gordon Childeâs seminal work on The Dawn of European Civilization (Childe 1925), it has been widely accepted that European agriculture originated in Southwest Asia. Exactly how farming spread to Europe from its origins in Southwest Asia remains, however, a matter of debate. Much of the argument has revolved around the manners of spreading of the Neolithic, whether through colonisation, acculturation or a combination of both. Far less attention has been given to the actual content of the Neolithic pattern of existence that spread into Europe. In my thesis, I review one particular type of content, practices, defined by reference to the theories of social action as normative acts or ways of doing. Practices are marked out by repetitive patterns in the material record, such as burnt houses for the practice of house-burning. Accordingly, practices are inferred, rather than instantiated, from their material expression, using information about the context and the sequence of stratigraphic events. Beyond farming practices, the Neolithic witnessed the inception of a new set of residential and construction practices, pertaining to the way in which houses were built, lived in and discarded at the end
Brami, Maxime
CC Archaeology
The diffusion of Neolithic practices from Anatolia to Europe : a contextual study of residential and construction practices 8,500-5,500 BC cal. Ever since Vere Gordon Childeâs seminal work on The Dawn of European Civilization (Childe 1925), it has been widely accepted that European agriculture originated in Southwest Asia. Exactly how farming spread to Europe from its origins in Southwest Asia remains, however, a matter of debate. Much of the argument has revolved around the manners of spreading of the Neolithic, whether through colonisation, acculturation or a combination of both. Far less attention has been given to the actual content of the Neolithic pattern of existence that spread into Europe. In my thesis, I review one particular type of content, practices, defined by reference to the theories of social action as normative acts or ways of doing. Practices are marked out by repetitive patterns in the material record, such as burnt houses for the practice of house-burning. Accordingly, practices are inferred, rather than instantiated, from their material expression, using information about the context and the sequence of stratigraphic events. Beyond farming practices, the Neolithic witnessed the inception of a new set of residential and construction practices, pertaining to the way in which houses were built, lived in and discarded at the end
diffusion neolithic practice anatolia europe contextual_study residential construction practice cal ever_since seminal work dawn european civilization widely_accept european agriculture originate southwest_asia exactly farm spread europe origins southwest_asia remain however matter_debate much argument revolve_around manner spread neolithic whether colonisation acculturation combination both far_less attention_give actual content neolithic pattern existence spread europe review one_particular type content practice define reference theory social_action normative act way practices mark repetitive pattern material_record burnt house practice house burning accordingly practice infer rather instantiate material_expression use information context sequence stratigraphic event beyond farming practice neolithic witness inception new set residential construction practice pertain way house build live end