The early prehistory of Mesopotamia
provides a uniquely rich and significant contribution to the study of
the human past. Within the geographic bounds of Mesopotamia many major
developments took place. Early forms of hominid, probably Homo erectus
and definitely Neandertal, passed countless millennia here, to be
succeeded by anatomically modern humans. After the end of the last Ice
Age the pace of human activity increased. Settled communities appeared
for the first time, followed by the extensive and intensive
exploitation and domestication of plants and animals. By 4,500 bc
settled human communities were practising a full spectrum of
agricultural techniques, cultivating a range of crops and husbanding
domesticated animals for a variety of purposes, while maintaining an
involvement in traditional hunting strategies. Firmly based on site by
site examination, this volume contains detailed analyses of all
evidence relevant to these and other major concerns of the early
Mesopotamian past.