Editing History of the ancient Levant (section)

===Neolithic and Chalcolithic===
By 8500–7500&nbsp;BC, the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A ([[PPNA]]) culture developed out of the earlier local tradition of Natufian, dwelling in round houses, and building the first defensive site at [[Tell es-Sultan]] (ancient Jericho) (guarding a valuable fresh water spring). This was replaced in 7500&nbsp;BC by Pre-Pottery Neolithic B ([[PPNB]]), dwelling in square houses, coming from Northern Syria and the Euphrates bend.

During the period of 8500–7500&nbsp;BC, another hunter-gatherer group, showing clear affinities with the cultures of Egypt (particularly the Outacha retouch technique for working stone) was in Sinai. This [[Harifian]] culture<ref>Belfer-Cohen, Anna and Bar-Yosef, Ofer "Early Sedentism in the Near East: A Bumpy Ride to Village Life" (''Fundamental Issues in Archaeology'', 2002, Part II, 19–38)</ref> may have adopted the use of pottery from the Isnan culture and [[Helwan culture]] of Egypt {{Citation needed|date=February 2024}} (which lasted from 9000 to 4500&nbsp;BC), and subsequently fused with elements from the PPNB culture during the climatic crisis of 6000&nbsp;BC to form what [[Juris Zarins]] calls the Syro-Arabian pastoral technocomplex,<ref>Zarins, Yuris "Early Pastoral Nomadiism and the Settlement of Lower Mesopotamia" (# ''Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research'' No. 280, November, 1990)</ref> which saw the spread of the first [[Nomadic pastoralists]] in the Ancient Near East. These extended southwards along the [[Red Sea]] coast and penetrating the Arabian bifacial cultures, which became progressively more Neolithic and pastoral, and extending north and eastwards, to lay the foundations for the tent-dwelling [[Amorite|Martu]] and [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] peoples of Mesopotamia.

In the [[Amuq valley]] of Syria, [[PPNB culture]] seems to have survived, influencing further cultural developments further south. Nomadic elements fused with PPNB to form the Minhata Culture and [[Yarmukian Culture]], which were to spread southwards, beginning the development of the classic mixed farming Mediterranean culture, and from 5600&nbsp;BC were associated with the [[Ghassulian culture]] of the region, the first [[Chalcolithic]] culture of the Levant. This period{{which|date=October 2021}} also witnessed the development of megalithic structures, which continued into the Bronze Age.<ref>Scheltema, H.G. (2008). ''Megalithic Jordan: An Introduction and Field Guide''. Amman, Jordan: The American Center of Oriental Research. {{ISBN|978-9957-8543-3-1}} No Google Books access.</ref>{{dubious|The Scheltema book has no online access, and is written by a diplomat. RS? Usrful it's certainly not. How much of the paragraph is it supposed to cover? Which period does it refer to, Neolithic (PPN, PN?), or Chalcolithic? Altogether: the Chalcolithic is not considered by all to be part of the Neolithic, deserves separate treatment.|date=October 2021}}

Historically, the [[Bedouin]] engaged in nomadic herding, agriculture and sometimes fishing in the Syrian [[steppe]] since 6000 BCE. By about 850 BCE, a complex network of settlements and camps were established. The earliest Arab tribes emerged from Bedouins.<ref name=":03">{{Cite book |last=Chatty |first=Dawn |url=https://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/document?id=mj04-000 |title=Culture Summary: Bedouin |date=2009 |publisher=Human Relations Area Files}}</ref>