Home Region:  Arabia (Southwest Asia)

Neolithic Yemen

3500 BCE 1201 BCE

D G SC WF HS EQ 2020  ye_yemen_lnl / YeNeoL*



Preceding Entity:
No Polity found. Add one here.

Succeeding Entity:
No Polity found. Add one here.

The Yemeni Coastal Plain or Plateau is the northwestern region of modern Yemen that lies between the Red Sea and the Yemeni Mountains. Here, we are interested in the phase of its prehistory known as the Neolithic (c. 3500-1201 BCE). Settlements at this time were small clusters of oval huts, with stone tools and stone manufacture debris but no pottery remains. [1]
No speculation could be found in the literature regarding possible forms of political organisation prevalent at the time; from an archaeological perspective, not enough is known about the few buildings that have been excavated to interpret them as having been used for administrative purposes, and the earliest known state-managed food storage structures in the region date to the third century BCE. Similarly, there are no serious works on the estimates for the area and population in the Neolithic and Bronze Age Yemen. [2]

[1]: (De Maigret 2002: 120-124) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/X3MRZCH5.

[2]: (A. Sedov: pers. comm. to E. Cioni: September 2019)

General Variables
Identity and Location
Temporal Bounds
Political and Cultural Relations
Language
Religion
Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale
Hierarchical Complexity
Professions
Bureaucracy Characteristics
Law
Specialized Buildings: polity owned
Transport Infrastructure
Special-purpose Sites
Information / Writing System
Information / Kinds of Written Documents
Information / Money
Information / Postal System
Information / Measurement System
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Religion Tolerance Coding in Progress.
Human Sacrifice Coding in Progress.
Crisis Consequences Coding in Progress.
Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range Neolithic Yemen (ye_yemen_lnl) was in:
 (3500 BCE 1201 BCE)   Yemeni Coastal Plain
Home NGA: Yemeni Coastal Plain

General Variables
Identity and Location
Original Name:
Neolithic Yemen

Temporal Bounds
Duration:
[3500 BCE ➜ 1201 BCE]
 

Political and Cultural Relations
Language
Language Genus:
uncoded

Religion

Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale
Population of the Largest Settlement:
-

in squared kilometers. "There are no serious works on the estimates for the area and population in the Neolithic and Bronze Age Yemen". [1]

[1]: (A. Sedov: pers. comm. to E. Cioni: September 2019)


Polity Territory:
-

in squared kilometers. "There are no serious works on the estimates for the area and population in the Neolithic and Bronze Age Yemen". [1]

[1]: (A. Sedov: pers. comm. to E. Cioni: September 2019)


Polity Population:
-

in squared kilometers. "There are no serious works on the estimates for the area and population in the Neolithic and Bronze Age Yemen". [1]

[1]: (A. Sedov: pers. comm. to E. Cioni: September 2019)


Hierarchical Complexity
Settlement Hierarchy:
[1 to 2]

levels. Inferred given complexity level.


Professions
Bureaucracy Characteristics
Specialized Government Building:
unknown

Not enough is known about the few buildings that have been excavated to interpret them them as having been used for administrative purposes. [1]

[1]: (A. Sedov: pers. comm. to E. Cioni: September 2019)


Law
Specialized Buildings: polity owned
Market:
unknown

Irrigation System:
unknown

Food Storage Site:
unknown

Drinking Water Supply System:
unknown

Transport Infrastructure
Special-purpose Sites
Information / Writing System
Information / Kinds of Written Documents
Information / Money
Information / Postal System
Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications
Wooden Palisade:
unknown

Stone Walls Non Mortared:
unknown

Stone Walls Mortared:
unknown

Settlements in a Defensive Position:
unknown

Modern Fortification:
absent

Moat:
unknown

Fortified Camp:
unknown

Earth Rampart:
unknown

Ditch:
unknown

Complex Fortification:
unknown

Long Wall:
unknown

Military use of Metals
Steel:
absent

"No archaeological evidence when metallurgy was first practiced in Yemen, but first bronze items appeared in the 3rd-2nd mill graves. Probably bronze (raw material, not items) was imported from Omani mountains." [1]

[1]: (A. Sedov: pers. comm. to E. Cioni: September 2019)


Iron:
absent

"No archaeological evidence when metallurgy was first practiced in Yemen, but first bronze items appeared in the 3rd-2nd mill graves. Probably bronze (raw material, not items) was imported from Omani mountains." [1]

[1]: (A. Sedov: pers. comm. to E. Cioni: September 2019)


Copper:
unknown
3500 BCE 3001 BCE

"No archaeological evidence when metallurgy was first practiced in Yemen, but first bronze items appeared in the 3rd-2nd mill graves. Probably bronze (raw material, not items) was imported from Omani mountains." [1]

[1]: (A. Sedov: pers. comm. to E. Cioni: September 2019)

Copper:
present
3000 BCE 1201 BCE

"No archaeological evidence when metallurgy was first practiced in Yemen, but first bronze items appeared in the 3rd-2nd mill graves. Probably bronze (raw material, not items) was imported from Omani mountains." [1]

[1]: (A. Sedov: pers. comm. to E. Cioni: September 2019)


Bronze:
unknown
3500 BCE 3001 BCE

"No archaeological evidence when metallurgy was first practiced in Yemen, but first bronze items appeared in the 3rd-2nd mill graves. Probably bronze (raw material, not items) was imported from Omani mountains." [1]

[1]: (A. Sedov: pers. comm. to E. Cioni: September 2019)

Bronze:
present
3000 BCE 1201 BCE

"No archaeological evidence when metallurgy was first practiced in Yemen, but first bronze items appeared in the 3rd-2nd mill graves. Probably bronze (raw material, not items) was imported from Omani mountains." [1]

[1]: (A. Sedov: pers. comm. to E. Cioni: September 2019)


Projectiles
Sling:
absent

These do not appear to be included in depictions of "warriors" in North Yemeni rock-art from the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age, as reproduced in Jung (1991). [1] However, Jung himself does not state these were not in use, nor does he remark on their absence in said depictions.

[1]: (Jung 1991) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JP9KX5BK.


Self Bow:
present

Some expert disagreement on whether an object commonly held by "warriors" in North Yemeni rock-art from the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age should be interpreted as a shield or a bow. [1]

[1]: (Jung 1991: 57) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JP9KX5BK.

Self Bow:
absent

Some expert disagreement on whether an object commonly held by "warriors" in North Yemeni rock-art from the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age should be interpreted as a shield or a bow. [1]

[1]: (Jung 1991: 57) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JP9KX5BK.


Javelin:
absent

These do not appear to be included in depictions of "warriors" in North Yemeni rock-art from the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age, as reproduced in Jung (1991). [1] However, Jung himself does not state these were not in use, nor does he remark on their absence in said depictions.

[1]: (Jung 1991) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JP9KX5BK.


Composite Bow:
absent

Atlatl:
absent

These do not appear to be included in depictions of "warriors" in North Yemeni rock-art from the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age, as reproduced in Jung (1991). [1] However, Jung himself does not state these were not in use, nor does he remark on their absence in said depictions.

[1]: (Jung 1991) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JP9KX5BK.


Handheld weapons
War Club:
absent

These do not appear to be included in depictions of "warriors" in North Yemeni rock-art from the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age, as reproduced in Jung (1991). [1] However, Jung himself does not state these were not in use, nor does he remark on their absence in said depictions.

[1]: (Jung 1991) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JP9KX5BK.


Sword:
present

"The types of daggers and swords that appear in rock pictures of Gabal Maihar (no. 1), the site north of Wsdi Qu’ayf (no. 2), Sa’ib Suhaybar (no. 3), Gabal Ligasir (no. 4) and Gabal Haid (no. 5) are important for dating this group of Yemeni rock-art to the Bronze Age." [1] NB Jung’s chronology differs from the one used here, so that "his" Bronze Age actually overlaps to a significant extent with "our" Neolithic.

[1]: (Jung 1991: 68) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JP9KX5BK.


Spear:
present

Spears are widely documented in North Yemeni rock-art from the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age. [1]

[1]: (Jung 1991) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JP9KX5BK.


Polearm:
absent

These do not appear to be included in depictions of "warriors" in North Yemeni rock-art from the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age, as reproduced in Jung (1991). [1] However, Jung himself does not state these were not in use, nor does he remark on their absence in said depictions.

[1]: (Jung 1991) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JP9KX5BK.


Dagger:
present

"The types of daggers and swords that appear in rock pictures of Gabal Maihar (no. 1), the site north of Wsdi Qu’ayf (no. 2), Sa’ib Suhaybar (no. 3), Gabal Ligasir (no. 4) and Gabal Haid (no. 5) are important for dating this group of Yemeni rock-art to the Bronze Age." [1] NB Jung’s chronology differs from the one used here, so that "his" Bronze Age actually overlaps to a significant extent with "our" Neolithic.

[1]: (Jung 1991: 68) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JP9KX5BK.


Battle Axe:
absent

These do not appear to be included in depictions of "warriors" in North Yemeni rock-art from the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age, as reproduced in Jung (1991). [1] However, Jung himself does not state these were not in use, nor does he remark on their absence in said depictions.

[1]: (Jung 1991) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JP9KX5BK.


Animals used in warfare
Horse:
absent

Horses not local, their remains not mentioned in descriptions of relevant archaeological contexts.


Elephant:
absent

Elephant not local, their remains not mentioned in descriptions of relevant archaeological contexts.


Donkey:
unknown

Dog:
unknown

Camel:
unknown

It is unclear whether camel remains found at relevant sites prior to the first millennium BCE come from domesticated or wild animals. [1]

[1]: (A. Sedov: pers. comm. to E. Cioni: September 2019)


Armor
Shield:
absent

Some expert disagreement on whether an object commonly held by "warriors" in North Yemeni rock-art from the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age should be interpreted as a shield or a bow. [1]

[1]: (Jung 1991: 57) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JP9KX5BK.

Shield:
present

Some expert disagreement on whether an object commonly held by "warriors" in North Yemeni rock-art from the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age should be interpreted as a shield or a bow. [1]

[1]: (Jung 1991: 57) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JP9KX5BK.


Limb Protection:
absent

These do not appear to be included in depictions of"warriors" in North Yemeni rock-art from the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age, as reproduced in Jung (1991). [1] However, Jung himself does not state these were not in use, nor does he remark on their absence in said depictions.

[1]: (Jung 1991) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JP9KX5BK.


Helmet:
absent

These do not appear to be included in depictions of"warriors" in North Yemeni rock-art from the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age, as reproduced in Jung (1991). [1] However, Jung himself does not state these were not in use, nor does he remark on their absence in said depictions.

[1]: (Jung 1991) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JP9KX5BK.


Breastplate:
absent

These do not appear to be included in depictions of"warriors" in North Yemeni rock-art from the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age, as reproduced in Jung (1991). [1] However, Jung himself does not state these were not in use, nor does he remark on their absence in said depictions.

[1]: (Jung 1991) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JP9KX5BK.


Naval technology

Human Sacrifice Data
Human Sacrifice is the deliberate and ritualized killing of a person to please or placate supernatural entities (including gods, spirits, and ancestors) or gain other supernatural benefits.
Coding in Progress.
Coding in Progress.
Power Transitions
Coding in Progress.