Sha'ar Hagolan 1: Neolithic Art in Context.

Belfer-Cohen, Anna

Sha'ar Hagolan 1: Neolithic Art in Context. Edited by YOSEF GARFINKEL and MICHELE A. MILLER. Oxford: OXBOW BOOKS, 2002. Pp. x + 262, illus. $85. [Distrib. in North America by David Brown Book Company, Oakville, Conn.]

This is a first report on the renewed excavations at the Pottery Neolithic site of Sha'ar Hagolan, directed by Y. Garfinkel on behalf of the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, with M. Miller as co-director since the 1998 season. The report incorporates analyses of material from the first four field seasons (1989, 1990, 1996, 1997), a survey carried out in 1998, and some of the finds and analyses from the seasons of 1998 and 1999. The excavations at Sha'ar Hagolan continue and the results of the later seasons (from 2000 onward) are pending publication.

The material is presented and discussed as follows. The first part deals with the site, its extent, history of research, current excavations, and the architectural remains. The second part presents the pottery finds, the flint artifacts, and the groundstone tools. The third part discusses art objects--inventory, spatial distribution, ways of production and function. The fourth part deals with subsistence, demography and social organization at the site.

M. Stekelis, its first excavator, recognized Sha'ar Hagolan as the type-site of an early Pottery Neolithic culture, which he called the Yarmukian, of the sixth millennium B.C. He did not find clear architectural remains and concluded, "the Neolithic settlers of Sha'ar Hagolan apparently lived in circular huts, half sunk below ground level" (The Yarmoukian Culture of the Neolithic Period [Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1972], 42; see p. 12 here).

The results of the renewed excavations have revealed quite the opposite. Yosef Garfinkel and David Ben-Shlomo present impressive evidence for domestic architecture, which consists mainly of room complexes built around large courtyards separated from their neighbors by narrow streets and alleys. While the presentation of the architecture and its interpretation on site is quite impressive (what's missing will undoubtedly become clearer with the publication of the results of later excavations), the discussion of Sha'ar Hagolan architecture within the context of early Near Eastern architecture is rather biased toward claims of the "first," the "biggest," the "only," etc. For example, the authors ignore Late PPNB architecture, which can be considered similar and preceding that of Sha'ar Hagolan (e.g., the site of Basta in Trans-Jordan). On the other hand, although they do recognize that the adoption of this particular courtyard pattern had implications as regards the social organization and daily life of the site's inhabitants, the appearance of this architectural pattern is presented as a linear evolutionary development, each "stage" characterized by the "invention" of yet another architectural element. Theirs is rather a simplistic approach lumping all previous architecture into the category of "simple" domestic dwellings with little consideration of the social implications and the behavioral processes inherent in the differential scope, complexity, and intensity of architectural activity. Yet, though the discussion could be enlarged to include more references and data (both archaeological and ethnographic), the data and the analyses are quite remarkable.

Part II provides detailed information as regards the ceramic and lithic finds at Sha'ar Hagolan. The data is presented most commendably, including quantitative and qualitative information (comprising ceramic petrography and experimental pottery replication). There are ample illustrations and detailed tables, and one can follow the data, its interpretation and comparisons with other Yarmukian assemblages (e.g., the Munhata assemblage, in Garfinkel, The Pottery Assemblages of the Sha'ar Hagolan and Rabah Stages of Munata [Israel] ([Paris: Cahiers du Centre de Recherche Francais de Jerusalem, 1992]).

The chapters dealing with the flint and groundstone assemblages are also quite comprehensive. They comprise discussions on raw material procurement, lithic technology, lithic typology, conjoinable items, and the spatial distribution of the finds reflecting the activities taking place on site.

The title of the book is justified in part III, which comprises several chapters that deal with art objects--their typology, construction, spatial distribution, and possible function. Here also we are presented with detailed accounts, ample illustrations, and a solid theoretical discussion. One might agree or disagree with the conclusions drawn as regards the role of the figurines--Miller considers them as representations of a female deity, serving to bolster group identity and unity--but no fault can be found with the manner and extent of the data presentation. There are some issues that are not resolved, for example, the difference in function between the clay and pebble figurines; who actually made the figurines; and other observable patterns (besides the spatial distribution). But these are topics that can await future publications.

Part IV incorporates preliminary reports on plant and animal remains and a study of population size and how it affected the social organization of the Yarmukian village. The plant and animal remains present us with a detailed picture of the wide range of vegetal species exploited, as well as the typical range of the animals of the Neolithic. In the final chapter Garfinkel tries to show a cause-and-effect connection between changes in social hierarchy and the particular architecture of the site. While the conclusions seem rather simplistic, the overall outline of what needs to be explored and studied indicates that this is but a first attempt, actually a pilot study, and as such should be commended.

All in all, this is a remarkable publication as site reports go, and if the next volumes prove to be as good as volume I, the Sha'ar Hagolan project will have proved special not only because of the archaeological data retrieved but also for the way and speed with which it has been published.

ANNA BELFER-COHEN

THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY