Description:
Stone vessels are known from the archaeological record of the Southern Levant since the Upper Palaeolithic, though these usually appear in small numbers until the onset of the Natufian culture. The PPNA (Pre-Pottery Neolithic A, 11,700-10,500 cal. BP) 1 stone assemblage bears many similarities to its Natufian predecessors, but also presents several changes— amongst these is the appearance of meticulously shaped and finished limestone vessels, found mainly in PPNA sites in the Mediterranean eco-zone and less frequently in the more arid regions. This paper presents these vessels and their characteristics and argues that these usually shallow bowls and platters relate to the presentation and serving of foodstuffs in communities undergoing socio-economic changes, with the continuing transformation from hunter-gatherer groups to settled agricultural village communities.