Contents List

Table of Contents

• Lists of Figures, Tables, Abbreviations
• Acknowledgement
• Chapter 1 Introduction (The Research Context, Research Aims and Objectives, The Structure of the Thesis)
• Chapter 2 The Pre-Pottery Neolithic in South-West Asia (Climatic and Environmental Background, Geographical Regions and Borders, Chronology of the Aceramic/Early Neolithic, The Pre-Pottery Neolithic, The Neolithic Demographic Transition, Summary)
• Chapter 3 Cognitive Archaeology and the Interpretative Models to Neolithic Material Culture (From the Palaeolithic to the Neolithic, Interpretative Models in Cognitive Archaeology, Conclusion)
• Chapter 4 Neolithic Symbolism and Ritual: a Methodological Challenge (Semantic Analysis of the Words Symbol and Ritual, Addressing the General Approach, Theories and Approaches to the Near Eastern Neolithic Ritual and Symbolism, Concluding Remarks: Identifying Models for Interpreting Neolithic Symbolic Materials)
• Chapter 5 The Database (Period, Location (= Geographical Region), Site, Phase of Occupation/ Area/ Level, Context, Items)
• Chapter 6 Selection Criteria for Data Acquisition (Site Selection, Artefact Selection, Conclusion)
• Chapter 7 Demographic Studies and Population Estimates (Why Population Estimates are Important, Estimating Population Parameters, Limitations and Problems, Method Employed in This Work, Case Studies [Netiv Hagdud, Beidha, Jerf el-Ahmar, Abu Hureyra 2, Göbekli Tepe, Çayönü Tepesi, Aşıklı Höyük, Boncuklu Höyük, Nemrik 9, Qermez Dere, Abdul Hosein, Ganj Dareh], Summary of Population Estimates at the Site Level, Other Archaeo-Demographic Proxies at the Regional Level, Conclusion)
• Chapter 8 Data Analysis (Description of the Analysis and of the Dataset, Overall Item Distribution, Type of Object, Type of Figure Represented, Group Compositions, Type of Symbolic Representation, Animal Species, Relation to Mortuary Practices, Raw Material, Aspects of Cognitive Impact, Population Sizes in Relation to Items, Multiple Correspondence Analysis, Summary and Conclusion)
• Chapter 9 Results and Discussion (Review of the Data Analysis in Relation to the Neolithic Socio-Demographic Contexts, Analogy and Ethnographic Comparisons, Interpreting PPN Animal and Human Figurative Forms)
• Chapter 10 Conclusion (Summary of the Finds and Significance of the Work, Future Research)

• Summary
• References
• Dictionaries and Other Online Resources
• Appendix A Figures
• Appendix B Tables
• Appendix C Supplementary Notes Concerning Data Collection (Levant: ‘Ain Ghazal, Zahrat adh-Dhra’ and Dhra’, Munhata, Jericho, Gilgal, Dja’de, Beisamoun, Tell Aswad, Tell Ramad, Ras Shamra, Tell Sabi Abyad II, Tell Halula, Tell Qaramel, Kfar Hahoresh, Basta; Anatolia: Akarçay Tepe, Boncuklu Tarla, Cafer Höyük, Hallan Çemi, Körtik Tepe, The Urfa Region, Çayönü, Aşıklı Höyük, Boncuklu Höyük, Çatalhöyük; Mesopotamia and Zagros: Ali Kosh,Nemrik 9, Ganj Dareh, Qermez Dere, Abdul Hosein,Tell Seker al-Aheimar