Recent research sheds light on the social dynamics of Neolithic farming villagers, revealing that early communities were notably inclusive and welcoming to newcomers. The study, led by Jo-Hannah Plug and her colleagues, examined ancient teeth from five archaeological sites in modern-day Syria, including Tell Halula, where multiple layers of human remains were preserved within house floors.
When the Neolithic period, a transformative time in how humans lived, arrived, so did new forms of mobility. In this research, the authors discovered that women moved between communities at a higher rate than men. Beyond enabling interactions between practitioners and non-practitioners, this movement played an important role in the integration of social dynamics within Neolithic settlements.
To learn more about where the people buried at these sites came from, researchers used strontium and oxygen isotope analysis. This approach allowed them to demolish any link between place and identity. As a result, they learned a great deal about the challenges and joys that awaited newcomers as they integrated into village life. The findings indicated that those newcomers received the same distinct treatment in death as existing community members, suggesting a level of social inclusion that challenges previous assumptions about mobility and community ties.
The study also sheds light on the role of social integration that mobility did not disrupt. People who moved into these first agricultural towns completely assimilated with their adopted homelands. They played a vibrant role in the governance and cultural life of their hamlets and villages. The study is a reminder of the Neolithic villagers’ open acceptance of strangers into their society. Together, these two tell a more complex story of social connectedness than we knew before.
The group’s work adds important new evidence to the picture of how these early agricultural communities operated and cared for their constituents. Researchers have recently studied the ancient teeth to discover the physical origins of these individuals. They’ve shown what role they want to play in the community’s planning process.