Editing Tell Abu Hureyra (section)

== Agriculture ==
[[File:Abu Hureyra - grinding stone.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Stones used to grind cereal grains, Abu Hureyra, c. 9500–9000 BC. [[British Museum]].]]
The village of Abu Hureyra had impressive agricultural advances for the time period. The rapid growth of farming led to the development of two different domesticated forms of wheat, barley, rye, lentils, and more due in part to a sudden cool period in the area.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/agriculture|title=Origins of agriculture – Early development|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=14 November 2019}}</ref> The cool period affected the supply of wild animals such as gazelle, which at the time was their main source of protein. Since their food supply became scarce it was critical that they find a way to provide for the population, this led to extensive agricultural efforts as well as the domestication of sheep and goats to provide a steady protein source.<ref name=":1" /> Another helpful factor was the ability to grow legumes, which fix nitrogen levels in the soil. This improved the fertility of the soil and allowed for the crop plants to flourish.<ref name=":1" />

This massive increase in agriculture had a cost. Those who lived in the village of Abu Hureyra experienced several injuries and skeletal abnormalities. These injuries mostly came from the way the crops were harvested. In order to harvest the crops the people of Abu Hureyra would kneel for several hours on end. The act of kneeling for long durations would put the individuals at risk for injuring the big toes, hips, and lower back.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thoughtco.com/abu-hureyra-syria-170017|title=Abu Hureyra: Agriculture in the Euphrates Valley|website=ThoughtCo|language=en|access-date=14 November 2019|last3=Archaeology.}}</ref> There was cartilage damage in the toe that was so severe the metatarsal bones would rub together. In addition to this injury another common injury was for the last dorsal vertebra to be damaged, crushed, or out of alignment due to the pressure used during the grinding of grains.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docgo.net/the-eloquent-bones-of-abu-hureyra|title=The Eloquent Bones of Abu Hureyra – Documents – The Best Way to Share & Discover Documents|website=DocGo.Net|language=en|access-date=14 November 2019|archive-date=8 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808050607/https://docgo.net/the-eloquent-bones-of-abu-hureyra|url-status=dead}}</ref> These skeletal abnormalities also can be found on the teeth of the Abu Hureyra people. Since the grain was stone ground many flakes of stone would still be left in the grain which over time would wear down the teeth. In rare cases women would have large grooves in their front teeth which suggests they used their mouth as a third hand while weaving baskets. This dates basket weaving as far back as 6500 BC and the fact so few women had these grooves shows that basket weaving was a rare skill to have.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi960.htm|title=No. 960: Grain in Abu Hureyra|website=www.uh.edu|access-date=14 November 2019}}</ref> These baskets were extremely important to the success of the agriculture because the baskets were used to collect or spread seeds, and were also used to collect or distribute water.<ref name=":2" />