Sep 4 - Week 3 - Meeting 6 / Neolithic: Natufian Culture

 

Unit: Neolithic

Theme: Natufian Culture

 

I

 

Introduction

The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts of the world. Among the main developments achieved by humans during the Neolithic were the creation of sedentary settlements along with the domestication of animals and plants.

 


II


 Learning Objectives

 

  • Understand the two core processes that allowed the survival of Neolithic societies
  • Explain the main characteristics of dance since the beginning of agriculture.
  • Discuss the importance of the Natufian culture within the context of the Neolithic period.
  •  Experience the dynamics of the areyto dance as a retention from the Neolithic period in the Caribbean

 

III

 

 Main Lesson


1


 Question 1

What two core processes do we need to address in order to understand how early Neolithic societies got to survive? Explain

 

----------------------- 


2


LINK

Dancing at the Dawn of Agriculture


Question 2

 Read the Introduction to this book and summarize the main points addressed by the author in regards to dance.

----------------------------


3



 (min. 25 - 35 min.)
 
 The Natufian culture is a Late Epipaleolithic archaeological culture of the Levant, dating to around 15,000 to 11,500 years ago. The culture was unusual in that it supported a sedentary or semi-sedentary population even before the introduction of agriculture. The Natufian communities may be the ancestors of the builders of the first Neolithic settlements of the region.
 
The Levant is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, it is equivalent to the historical region of Syria, which included present-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine and most of Turkey south-east of the middle Euphrates. 
 
Question 3 

 Why is the Natufian culture important in the context of the Neolithic period?

 -------------------------


IV

 

A Note to Remember

 During the Neolithic humans created sedentary settlements. This made possible the domestication of animals and plants and vice versa. Dance is the oldest and the prevalent theme of artistic scenes in the Ancient Near East and South East Europe. Dance was also the performance mode of the calendrical rituals of early farmers.The Natufian culture, for instance, which predates the introduction of agriculture, even if it had already created sedentary or semi-sedentary settlements, were the first people to routinely bury their dead close to or within their living sites. The burials, which occurred both alone and in groups,suggest the performance of rituals and probably dance.

 

 

V

 

Case Study 

 



VI


Activity


Areyto Dance Restoration
 
Secondary Sources:
 
 https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Archive_and_the_Repertoire/IZsSlR5-fzIC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=areito
 
 
 
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Mismeasure_of_Desire/uWhdMtGt5xUC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Taino
 
(page 49 - 51)
 
 
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Calusa/xrfs5iF9EV4C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Abaibo&pg=PA22&printsec=frontcover 
 
(Last sentence of page 21 - 22)
 
 
 
 
VIII
 
Glossary 
 
calendrical rituals: Calendrical and commemorative rites are ritual events marking particular times of year, or a fixed period since an important event. Calendrical rituals give social meaning to the passage of time, creating repetitive weekly, monthly or yearly cycles.
 
dance: complex form of communication that combines the visual, kinesthetic and aesthetic aspects of human movement with (usually) the aural dimension of musical sounds and sometimes poetry.

community dance: a form of group behavior whereby an indefinite number of individuals start to move their muscles rhythmically, establish a regular beat, and continue to do so for long enough to arouse euphoric excitement shared by all participants. This capability marks humans off from all other forms of life.

Natufian culture: A Late Epipaleolithic archaeological culture of the Levant, dating to around 15,000 to 11,500 years ago. The culture was unusual in that it supported a sedentary or semi-sedentary population even before the introduction of agriculture. The Natufian communities may be the ancestors of the builders of the first Neolithic settlements of the region.
 
The Levant:  An approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, it is equivalent to the historical region of Syria, which included present-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine and most of Turkey south-east of the middle Euphrates.
 
 
 
IX
 
Students' Work
 
Neolithic Rituals in the Subjunctive Mood
 
 https://youtu.be/Ghz6-9dCFcE?si=7qOUFg1__9re3Dra
 

 https://youtu.be/I4ESBWa9a9A?si=I7T4hNtwYDC-qHKl
 
 
 
https://youtu.be/YQ0cCXJ5at8?si=WNQwVES2I0-yz_qU


Bradley Merschman

Question 1:
What two core processes do we need to address in order to understand how early Neolithic societies survived?

  • Sedentary settlements: People began living in one place instead of moving constantly, which allowed for community development.

  • Domestication of animals and plants: Humans learned to farm and raise animals, providing a more stable and reliable food source.

Question 2:
Read the Introduction to Dancing at the Dawn of Agriculture and summarize the main points addressed by the author in regards to dance.

  • Dance was fundamental to early human societies as a means of communication, bonding, and ritual expression.

  • As agriculture and sedentary life developed, dance evolved from simple survival functions to more complex cultural and social roles.

  • Early dances reflected agricultural cycles, religious beliefs, and community organization, helping people mark time and celebrate major life events.

Question 3:
Why is the Natufian culture important in the context of the Neolithic period?

  • The Natufians were significant because they lived in sedentary or semi-sedentary communities before the invention of agriculture.

  • Their way of life paved the way for fully agricultural societies later in the Neolithic.

  • They also practiced burial rituals close to their living spaces, suggesting early forms of communal ritual, probably including dance.

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