Transitional lifeways and identity construction in the Early Neolithic of the Eastern Fertile Crescent.

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Archaeological research tracing the development of agriculture and settled life in Southwest Asia has greatly contributed to current understandings of the forager-farmer or Neolithic transition (c. 10,000-6000 BCE). Nevertheless, while numerous studies have addressed major issues associated with this shift from zooarchaeological, archaeobotanical and micro-contextual perspectives, few works have concentrated on the lived experience of people by means of an integrated bioarchaeological analysis of their mortal remains.This project aims to provide new, human-centred perspectives on the Neolithic transition in the Eastern Fertile Crescent, a region comprising the Zagros uplands and plains of eastern Iraq and western Iran that, until recently, has remained archaeologically little explored. The research will involve an interdisciplinary exploration of human diet, activity and health at Early Neolithic Bestansur (Iraqi Kurdistan, c. 7700-7100 BCE) through the combined application of osteology and palaeopathology, stable isotope analysis and light microscopy of dental calculus to a sample of individuals from the site. The integration of cutting-edge methods and biocultural approaches within a coherent research structure promises access to seminal information on lifeways, human environment interactions and the negotiation of identities at a key site, ultimately contributing to broader discussions on life and complexity during a crucial episode of adaptive change.