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THE EARLY NEOLITHIC IN GREECE

Catherine Perles

Cambridge University Press

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An el"sive #es$lithi%& absen%e $' eviden%e $r eviden%e $' absen%e(

) Here* I shall "se the term #es$lithi% in its %hr$n$l$gi%al sense* t$ designate early

H$l$%ene h"nter)gatherer assemblages+ The ,eri$d "nder %$nsiderati$n s,ans bet-een %+

./ and 0 1P "n%alibrated* $r %+ 0 t$ 1C in %alendar years+

) The m$st salient %hara%teristi% $' the #es$lithi% in Gree%e is h$- ,$$rly it is

3n$-n* and h$- 'e- sites are re%$rded+ 4iverging $,ini$ns ab$"t the signi'i%an%e $' this

s%ar%ity have led t$ $,,$sing vie-s $n the $rigins $' the Ne$lithi% in Gree%e+ I shall arg"e

that #es$lithi% Gree%e -as indeed s,arsely ,$,"lated* and that this l$- dem$gra,hy r"les$"t the hy,$thesis $' a ,"rely indigen$"s shi't t$ agri%"lt"re+

) The 'e- sites 3n$-n t$ date %$n%entrate in t-$ main regi$ns& n$rth)east Atti%a and

the Arg$lid* in eastern Gree%e* C$r'"* the %$astal ,lains $' the A%her$n and the Preve5a

regi$n in n$rth)-estern Gree%e+ 6$ 'ar* $nly '$"r sites have been e7%avated and ,"blished&

8 6idari in C$r'" 96$rdinas :.;* :.;.* :.<

8 =ran%hthi in the s$"thernArg$lid 9Hansen :..:> ?a%$bsen and =arrand

:.0> Payne :./> Perles :..a> 6ha%3let$n :.00> van Andel and 6"tt$n :.0+<

8 @aimis in Atti%a and Ulbri%h als$ in the Arg$lid 9#ar3$vits :.20*

:.2B> Tellenba%h :.0+< 9P+ 2:<

) The t$tal n"mber $' sites %"rrently 3n$-n th"s barely rea%hes a d$5en+ 4$es thiss%ar%ity re'le%t the a%t"al ,a"%ity $' h"man settlements in #es$lithi% Gree%e(

Alternatively* are m$st $' the #es$lithi% sites b"ried $r destr$yed( Or is this sim,ly the

$"t%$me $' ins"''i%ient resear%h(

) The dem$gra,hy $' the #es$lithi% s"bstrat"m determines in ,art the ,$tential '$r 

l$%al inn$vati$ns and the r$le that l$%al gr$",s %$"ld have ,layed in the %$nstit"ti$n B b$th

%"lt"ral and geneti% B $' the 'irst 'arming s$%ieties 9Nandris :.a& 20 van Andel and R"nnels :../

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1< Inland sites* $n the $ther hand* %$"ld n$- be b"ried "nder several metres $' 

all"vial sediments+ They -$"ld th"s be di''i%"lt t$ s,$t 'r$m s"r'a%e s"rveys+ E7tensive

all"viati$n has been dem$nstrated in several regi$ns* es,e%ially in Thra%e and #a%ed$nia+

It is th"s ,remat"re t$ r"le $"t the ,$ssibility that #es$lithi% B and '$r that matter* Early

 Ne$lithi% B sites are n$- dee,ly b"ried in these regi$ns+ H$-ever* there are gr$"nds t$

d$"bt the im,$rtan%e $' this 'a%t$r in $ther ,arts $' Gree%e+ The $verall stability $' the Late

Pleist$%ene and Early H$l$%ene m$r,h$l$gy has been re,eatedly d$%"mented in $ther 

 basins* -here er$si$nal ,hases are late 9#iddle t$ Late Ne$lithi%* 1r$n5e Age $r even

laterP$,e and van Andel :.0!> van Andel et al. :..> @angger :..: