Early Village Life at Beidha, Jordan: Neolithic Spatial Organization and Vernacular Architecture

This case study rigorously investigates village spatial organisation and vernacular architecture of the Early Neolithic village of Beidha in southern Jordan. Around 10,000 years ago, humans began to establish farming villages in a variety of settings across Southwest Asia. Yet the changes in community social organization associated with this fundamental economic development have remained largely unexplored. This volume reveals that fundamental changes occurred over time in the
built environment. Individual households become more independent and public buildings were increasingly important venues for conducting community-wide activities that served to integrate the village. The study will be of interest both to Southwest Asian archaeologists and all those interested in how
early villages were formed.