The
Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World
archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw
the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear
to have arisen independently in several parts of the world. Among the
main developments achieved by humans during the Neolithic were the
creation of sedentary settlements along with the domestication of
animals and plants.
II
Learning Objectives
Understand the two core processes that allowed the survival of Neolithic societies
Explain the main characteristics of dance since the beginning of agriculture.
Discuss the importance of the Natufian culture within the context of the Neolithic period.
Experience the dynamics of the areyto dance as a retention from the Neolithic period in the Caribbean
III
Main Lesson
1
Question 1
What two core processes do we need to address in order to understand how early Neolithic societies got to survive? Explain
Read the Introduction to this book and summarize the main points addressed by the author in regards to dance.
----------------------------
3
(min. 25 - 35 min.)
The
Natufian culture is a Late Epipaleolithic archaeological culture of the
Levant, dating to around 15,000 to 11,500 years ago. The culture was
unusual in that it supported a sedentary or semi-sedentary population
even before the introduction of agriculture. The Natufian communities
may be the ancestors of the builders of the first Neolithic settlements
of the region.
The Levant is
an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area
in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest
sense, it is equivalent to the historical region of Syria, which
included present-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine and most
of Turkey south-east of the middle Euphrates.
Question 3
Why is the Natufian culture important in the context of the Neolithic period?
-------------------------
IV
A Note to Remember
During
the Neolithic humans created sedentary settlements. This made possible
the domestication of animals and plants and vice versa. Dance is the
oldest and the prevalent theme of artistic scenes in the Ancient Near
East and South East Europe. Dance was also the performance mode of the
calendrical rituals of early farmers.The
Natufian culture, for instance, which predates the introduction of
agriculture, even if it had already created sedentary or semi-sedentary
settlements,were
the first people to routinely bury their dead close to or within their
living sites. The burials, which occurred both alone and in groups,suggest the performance of rituals and probably dance.
calendrical rituals: Calendrical and commemorative rites are ritual events marking particular times of year, or a fixed period since an important event. Calendrical rituals give social meaning to the passage of time, creating repetitive weekly, monthly or yearly cycles.
dance: complex form of communication that combines the visual, kinesthetic and aesthetic aspects of human movement with (usually) the aural dimension of musical sounds and sometimes poetry.
community dance: a form of group behavior whereby an indefinite number of individuals start to move their muscles rhythmically, establish a regular beat, and continue to do so for long enough to arouse euphoric excitement shared by all participants. This capability marks humans off from all other forms of life.
Natufian culture: A Late Epipaleolithic archaeological culture of the
Levant, dating to around 15,000 to 11,500 years ago. The culture was
unusual in that it supported a sedentary or semi-sedentary population
even before the introduction of agriculture. The Natufian communities
may be the ancestors of the builders of the first Neolithic settlements
of the region.
The Levant: An approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area
in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest
sense, it is equivalent to the historical region of Syria, which
included present-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine and most
of Turkey south-east of the middle Euphrates.
IX
Students' Work
The Levant: The Natufian Culture
Group 1
Norel Reyes, Lana Alfadi, Georgia Burtt, Anna Sulton, Natalie Van-Winkle
They used this substance (fermented barley) probably as
a form of adding onto their ritual which then correlated back to dance.
There was also the presence of shells which could probably means there as trade. The shells could be considered a
form of art and that form of art could've also been accompanied by dance. During this period we also see one
of the first ideas of formatted dances because they had already
established some form of community.
Group 2
Ashna Vaidyanath, Lana Fell, Victoria Howell, Carolina Mojena, Sophia Tripodi, Ashna
It is assumed there was a large emphasis placed on
ritualistic dance, whether for rain or food production or even
community events. They even cultivated barley to ferment a form of beer in order to let
loose, enjoy themselves or induce a trance like state of mind. There was also a large community aspect
involved in their possible ritual dances given the archeological evidence of their early settlements in The Levant.
Timeline First Hominins Period: The earliest, dating 7-6 million years ago. Early Hominins Period: From 2.7 - 1.5 million years ago. Paleolithic Period: Roughly from 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 B.C. Neolithic Period: From around 4300 BC down to 2000 BC Indigenous Caribbean 1492 AD (Spider web idea) Syncretic Caribbean 2022 AD (Spider web idea) Copper or Chalcolithic Age: 3500 to 2300 BCE. Bronze Age : 3300 BC to 1200 BC, Iron Age: 1200 B.C. and 600 B.C. The Portuguese, in the 16th century , were the first to buy slaves from West African slavers and transport them across the Atlantic. In 1526, they completed the first transatlantic slave voyage to Brazil, and other Europeans soon followed. Syncretic Caribbean: 2022 AD (Spider Web idea) Ancient Egypt: First Dynasty: 3150 - 2890 B.C. / Apis Bull Ritual or The Running of Apis Old Kingdom / 2,700-2,200 B.C. / King Radjedef : Radjedef...
Timeline First Hominins Period: The earliest, dating 7-6 million years ago. Early Hominins Period: From 2.7 - 1.5 million years ago. Paleolithic Period: Roughly from 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 B.C. Neolithic Period: From around 4300 BC down to 2000 BC Indigenous Caribbean 1492 AD (Spider web idea) Syncretic Caribbean 2022 AD (Spider web idea) Copper or Chalcolithic Age: 3500 to 2300 BCE. I Unit: Theme: Ritual Practices Introduction The analysis of ritual behavior and symbolism may be used as a key to understanding social structure and processes . Concepts such as rite of passage and liminality elements of the ritual process. II Learning Objectives Understand the importance of recovering ritual practices in modern times Explain the function of rituals Gather an awareness of terms such as rite of passage and liminality Experience the structuring of a ritual by adding the rite of passage and the ...
Comments
Post a Comment