Episode 6 - Arsonists and Elephant Hunters

In which we go on an extended exploration of causal reasoning, language, and how they relate to innovation, social learning, Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, and the future course of Near Eastern prehistory. Also, in which you can hear my dog in the background multiple times.

Following the titanic shifts in climate brought on by the Mid-Pleistocene Transition, the Near East is entering an uncertain new phase. This new phase will bring unprecedented changes to hominins, and will culminate in, among other things, the appearance of the human species. The path we will take to reach that point is illustrated at the Levantine site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, one of the most fascinating and archaeologically-dense sites we'll ever encounter. Here we find an endless list of historical "firsts", but far more importantly, the changes to the hominin mind which made those firsts possible.

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In which I apologize for being bad at scheduling.

After three episodes stuck inside just two Near Eastern sites, we’re finally getting a look at what’s been going on in the rest of the region, Anatolia to Iran, the Caucasus to Arabia. Don’t get too comfortable though, because once we see what the Near Eastern Quaternary looked like, climate change will return to tear it all down.

In this episode, we take a look at the most important site from the core region of the Early Paleolithic Near East: the Levantine site of ‘Ubeidiya. From its 400,000 years of occupation, we get a look at one of the most critical technological revolutions in hominin history, and foreshadowing of what Near Eastern humans will later achieve.

Humans and their ancestors are notoriously messy, but of all the things they leave on the ground, what survives the longest is rocks. In this episode, we take a look at the origins and development of (arguably) the first technology in history, stone tools, and what the Near Eastern archaeological record can tell us about them. From that specific example though, we also take a look at how hominins gain and hold onto knowledge generally, and how that knowledge builds on itself into something entirely new.

Take a deep dive into the (so far) earliest known hominin site outside Africa, and what is arguably the most important archaeological find from the Early Paleolithic: the Georgian site of Dmanisi. Here, around 1.8 million years ago, hominins left us with more than enough evidence to get Near Eastern prehistory started: their food, their tools, and even their skulls. With these remains we learn more about daily life for early Homo, and get even more confused about who early Homo might have been.

An overview of the evolutionary, environmental, and geographic background leading up to our ancestor's first entry into the Near East. Plenty to talk about, but don't expect much of it take place in the Near East itself.

Introduction to The Near Eastern History Podcast, including the scope, goals, and technical aspects.