NEOLITHIC PERIOD -NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION- THE ERA OF INCIPIENT FOOD PRODUCTION- EVOLUTION OF THE CONCEPT AND THE BRAIDWOODS

Year 2004, Issue: 7, 43 - 51, 10.08.2004

Mehmet Özdoğan

Abstract

Braidwood holds a distinctive place in the history of archaeology. Not only because of their work in the field, but even more for their innovative contributions to our mode of looking at the past. Unlike many other colleagues of their time, the Braidwoods never totally rejected "traditional" archaeology; instead, they tried to upgrade the vision and methods of archaeology without deflecting its essence. Actually, the Braidwoods looked for means that would propitiously convey the data thus made available by traditional approaches to a new format, that would comply with them current research strategies. In the earlier part of their careers the Braidwoods were involved in the Protohistoric cultures of the Near East; it seems evident that they wanted to test their new vision through a simpler culture. At that time the Neolithic Period seemed like an ideal candidate. As a time period, it was of utmost importance, representing the most significant turning point in human history, yet is was the time of apparently simple societies, devoid of monumental buildings, temples, military installations, object of art or of prestige all of which the Braidwoods were trying to avoid. Moreover, the problems involved with the Neolithic Period clearly necessitated the extensive cooperation of natural sciences. Thus, the Braidwoods bravely formulated their narrative by incorporating hitherto elusive aspects such as habitat, subsistence and assemblage, and tested it all in the field. The outcome was of such success that it stimulated a whole generation of archaeologists to take to the field in the hope of further elaborating Braidwoods' results. However, soon this gave way to a new bias; the "neolithic" came to be identified with a certain subsistence pattern, overshadowing "culture".

The Braidwoods at Çayönü, their final venture in the field. were betrayed by the archaeological yield of the site. Çayönü, even by the first season gave clear indication that the Pre-Pottery Neolithic community living there, aside being a simple one, was rather sophisticated. It had monumental special building reserved for cult practices, art and prestige objects, complex technologies etc.; it all implied the presence of a well organized stratified society. Moreover, evidence of similar nature came pouring in from other excavated sites such as Nevali Çori, all implying that subsistence pattern was not enough by itself to define that period. Now, the picture drawn through the most recent excavations, such as Göbeklitepe or Jerf el-Ahmar, is radically different from what the Braidwoods envisaged for the Neolithic Period so many years ago. However, we should still keep in mind that, what they proposed was true for their time much more true and scientifically -based then their contemporaries- but especially for now. Specifically, if there had not been the "Braidwood impetus", we would never have attained our present level of knowledge.

Keywords

History of archaeology , terminology , Neolithic , Braidwood

NEOLİTİK ÇAĞ -NEOLİTİK DEVRİM- İLK ÜRETİM TOPLULUKLARI KAVRAMININ DEĞİŞİMİ VE "BRAIDWOODLAR"

Abstract

Braidwood holds a distinctive place in the history of archaeology. Not only because of their work in the field, but even more for their innovative contributions to our mode of looking at the past. Unlike many other colleagues of their time, the Braidwoods never totally rejected "traditional" archaeology; instead, they tried to upgrade the vision and methods of archaeology without deflecting its essence. Actually, the Braidwoods looked for means that would propitiously convey the data thus made available by traditional approaches to a new format, that would comply with them current research strategies. In the earlier part of their careers the Braidwoods were involved in the Protohistoric cultures of the Near East; it seems evident that they wanted to test their new vision through a simpler culture. At that time the Neolithic Period seemed like an ideal candidate. As a time period, it was of utmost importance, representing the most significant turning point in human history, yet is was the time of apparently simple societies, devoid of monumental buildings, temples, military installations, object of art or of prestige all of which the Braidwoods were trying to avoid. Moreover, the problems involved with the Neolithic Period clearly necessitated the extensive cooperation of natural sciences. Thus, the Braidwoods bravely formulated their narrative by incorporating hitherto elusive aspects such as habitat, subsistence and assemblage, and tested it all in the field. The outcome was of such success that it stimulated a whole generation of archaeologists to take to the field in the hope of further elaborating Braidwoods' results. However, soon this gave way to a new bias; the "neolithic" came to be identified with a certain subsistence pattern, overshadowing "culture".

The Braidwoods at Çayönü, their final venture in the field. were betrayed by the archaeological yield of the site. Çayönü, even by the first season gave clear indication that the Pre-Pottery Neolithic community living there, aside being a simple one, was rather sophisticated. It had monumental special building reserved for cult practices, art and prestige objects, complex technologies etc.; it all implied the presence of a well organized stratified society. Moreover, evidence of similar nature came pouring in from other excavated sites such as Nevali Çori, all implying that subsistence pattern was not enough by itself to define that period. Now, the picture drawn through the most recent excavations, such as Göbeklitepe or Jerf el-Ahmar, is radically different from what the Braidwoods envisaged for the Neolithic Period so many years ago. However, we should still keep in mind that, what they proposed was true for their time much more true and scientifically -based then their contemporaries- but especially for now. Specifically, if there had not been the "Braidwood impetus", we would never have attained our present level of knowledge.

Keywords

Arkeoloji tarihi , kavram , Neolitik Çağ , Braidwood

References

• BRAIDWOOD, RJ. 1957 "Jericho and its Setting in Near Eastern History", Antiquity 31, 73.