Review: David R. Harris, „Origins of agriculture in Western Central Asia. An environmental-archaeological study”, University of Pennsylvania, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia 2010

Abstract

A book by David R. Harris, together with fourteen contributors, brings very important and valuable data concerning the Neolithic of western Central Asia. The work is mostly based on field observations and analysis of samples taken in southern Turkmenistan in the course of carrying out an international project between 1989 and 1998. During that period a group of British scientists, accompanied by Russian and Turkmen specialists, managed to collect an abundant material, later studied and analysed in English laboratories. As a result the discussion is dominated by problems of the Jeitunian Culture in southern Turkmenistan, and its connections with neighbouring sites, but results and conclusions are shown in a wide context. Furthermore, the book under discussion is excellently illustrated and edited.