Jerf el Ahmar - Neolithic site associated with the domestication of barley, 8000 BCE

Jerf el-Ahmar is a prehistoric sites investigated in Syria in recent years by French teams. The importance of the site lies in the information they are providing on the development of early agricultural communities in the Near East. It is associated with another site Tell Halulu which is a later development, some 800 years which shows signs of domestication of grain

Jerf el-Ahmar is one of only a handful of Syrian sites dating to the early stages of this critical period. While there is no direct evidence from Jerf for domesticated plants or animals - features that are normally associated with the emergence of agriculture and settled life - discoveries at the site, which include more than 40 well-preserved buildings, some of them ritual structures, indicate a sedentary population of hunter/farmers with a complex and vibrant community life and wide-ranging contacts with other parts of the Near East.

Location of Jerf in relation to Geyonu, Nevalli Cori and Gobelki tepe



Clear artistic proof of much drinking or odd aliens



The first representation of the 'Lebanese' nose



The grain sizes - note the increases in size - showing a selection process which would lead to domestication



The structures found





The dates from BP (before present which is 1950), note the wide spread of dates on the different materials



Early attempts at scribbling or is it proto-writing?



Proto-writing< br />

Link to a larger version of the image above





A Jerfer left to rest after a hard life of hunting and gathering



You will note above some lighter colour items on the top of skeleton, this is a close up, perhaps a headress - showing trade with people closer to the sea