Plant Exploitation on Epipalaeolithic and Early Neolithic Sites in the Levant

This work analyses charred plant remains recovered from ten Late Epipalaeolithic to Late Neolithic sites in the area of moderm Jordan and Syria to identify the plant species found, to evaluate the potential uses of the plants and to suggest those that were possible sources of food. A further aim is to evaluate the extent of exploitation of wild and domestic plant resources, and the possible dietary contribution made by both at different times and in different locations. The objective is to review the evidence for the exploitation of plant resources from a wider perspective, primarily with reference to results from the ten Jordanian and five Syrian sites, but also including those from other sites in the Levant. The significance of the finds of cereal and legume crops from the Jordanian sites is assessed within the context of the origins and spread of agriculture in the Near East.