Skip to McMaster Navigation Skip to Site Navigation Skip to main content

Abu Hureyra, Syria

Uncovering A Key Site In The Fertile Crescent

Abu Hureyra, located on the Middle Euphrates in northern Syria, stands as one of the most important case studies in the origins of cereal domestication. Spanning the Epi-Palaeolithic to the earliest Neolithic, the site provides invaluable insights into the transition from foraging to farming in the Fertile Crescent – a turning point in human history.

Originally excavated in the 1970s by Prof. Andrew Moore (now at the Rochester Institute of Technology), Abu Hureyra’s excavation provided groundbreaking evidence of early agricultural practices. Unfortunately, the site was later submerged due to a damming project, and now lies beneath Lake Assad, preserving its legacy beneath the waters.

Reconstructing Exchange Networks At Abu Hureyra

Understanding Abu Hureyra’s role within broader socio-economic systems is central to MAX Lab’s research. Working in collaboration with the Royal Ontario Museum, the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, and the Manchester Museum of the University of Manchester, our team is currently engaged in obsidian sourcing analysis.

This research focuses on strata spanning the Epi-Palaeolithic to the later Neolithic (PPNC) to determine Abu Hureyra’s regional exchange connections. By examining trade patterns, we aim to reconstruct the networks of interaction through which new ideas and technologies spread across the Near East, shaping the development of Neolithic communities.