Abu Hureyra

Abu Hureyra

• It is a 28 acre tell (small hill) over looking the Euphrates floodplain.
• It is an example of rescue archaeology-it now lies under Lake Assad due to the Tabqa Dam on the Euphrates. 
• It is one of the earliest agricultural settlements in the world.
• Originally it was a small village of simple pit dwellings where they lived off game and wild plants.
• In 9,500BC only a few families lived here, but by 8,000BC 300-400 people lived here.
• Flotation tanks were used to acquire large samples of charred seeds and fruits as well as large samples of cereal grains and other seeds from the start of farming
  • 712 seed samples were found each of which contain as many as 500 seeds from over 150 different taxa, all of which are edible.
• It is in a good location because below was the moist Euphrates floodplain and there was also a grassland steppe. 
• Fruit stones and seeds of the hackberry tree, plum and medlar in the village were found. Pistachio fruit has also been found.
• In moist spring and early summers it is thought…