New evidence suggests pre-historic building forms were more complex than previously thought

2025-01-03T17:37:00-05:00

A new study reveals that early architectural development in the Near East was more sophisticated than traditionally assumed, challenging the conventional narrative of a simple progression from round to rectangular structures during the Neolithic period.

Researchers Hadas Goldgeier, Antoine Muller, and Leore Grosman from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem studied the varieties of architectural forms found in pre-historic archeological sites across the Levant region, concluding that the long-accepted "round-to-rectangular" development arch of human-built forms to be a bit oversimplified.

They explain: "These analyses have implications for understanding how architecture can be used to identify enduring or changing patterns of household and community organization. [...] The study identified distinct temporal variability in dwelling traditions, and linked these changes to changes in social structure, growing territoriality, and regional difference."

The discovery comes nearly two years after researchers from Jordan’s Al-Hussein Bin Talal University uncovered what they claimed could be the world's first architectural plans.

Archinect - News

New evidence suggests pre-historic building forms were more complex than previously thought