Neolithic Settlement

Beidha, Jordan

The Pre-Pottery Neolithic village of Beidha (pronounced BAY-da) was occupied from 7200 BC to 6500 BC, in the first half of Pre-Pottery Neolithic B. The early settlers built a retaining wall around the village, and constructed round houses with floors sunk below ground level. Villagers cultivated barley and emmer, herded goats, and supplemented their diet by hunting wild animals and gathering nuts. Interestingly, no burials have been found on the site. Perhaps the deceased were buried away from the village, and their traces have subsequently disappeared by erosion into the wadi.

Beidha is located just next to Siq al-Barid, a few kilometers north of Petra. The photo here looks southeast.