: Earliest Civilizations of the near East . James Mellaart.

Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations

Department Website: http://nelc.uchicago.edu Program of Study Majors in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations (NELC) at the University of Chicago pursue rigorous knowledge about a region of the world that is known as “the cradle of civilization” and the home of several important religious and cultural traditions, as well as one of the most important geopolitical areas of our contemporary wor...

James Blaut’s Critique of Diffusionism through a Neolithic Lens: Early Animal Domestication in the Near East

Introduction I first met Jim Blaut in 1976 when I started the graduate program at Clark University. I learned about Jim’s views on diffusionism and diffusion and European exceptionalism through conversations I had with him during his visits to Clark from 1976 to 1979, during AAG meetings from 1978 to 1985, and during a visit to his and Meca’s home in Chicago in 1978. He was kind with his time, ...

Bioarchaeology of the Near East

In the early 1990s, when studies of ancient DNA became possible, new perspectives of analyzing archaeological data also developed. Nowadays, because the methodology related to ancient DNA research is well developed, it has been used to reveal several aspects of human history and interaction. Here we review the basic concepts, methodologies, and recent developments in the fi eld of ancient DNA s...

Bioarchaeology of the Near East

Bioarchaeology of the Near East

Our knowledge of the social and economic development of past societies and the people within them can be increased through an understanding of specialized activities. If an activity was time-consuming or arduous, especially when begun at an early age and the bones still growing, the bone morphology can be modifi ed and techniques of production used in the past are recorded. Th e predisposing re...