Résumé en anglais et en allemand

Bibliogr. p. 239-254

Résumés en anglais et en allemand p. i-ii

The general research question followed during the course of this study can be summarized as : does the Neolithic in Arabia originate in the Levant ? To approach this question, several facets of this topic have been investigated. The first aspect considered is the most fundamental one with respect to the general research question : what is the archaeological material evidence for the Neolithic dispersal over Arabia, and where did it originate ? If one accepts the Levantine origin for the Arabian Neolithic, the next question which has to be answered is : how did it happen ? Here, two opposing, general, explanatory concepts are provided in the archaeological, social and geographic sciences. The third focus of this study investigates the Neolithic dispersal over Arabia as a spatial process : what are the most advantageous routes the Levantine Neolithic herders could have taken during the dispersal ? The structure of this book follows the research agenda as outlined : Chapter 1 describes the history of research in Arabia. Chapter 2 discusses the conceptual model which was developed to consider the Neolithic dispersal from the Levant as a spatial process. Chapter 3 provides details about the dispersal simulations performed with respect to the environmental situation on the Arabian Peninsula. Chapter 4 traces the dispersal routes suggested by the simulations by archaeological evidence. The concluding chapter 5 summarizes and compares the separate results of the study. (Source : éditeur)