Mesothelae

Mesothelae is a term used by some archaeologists to describe a proposed cultural complex of early sedentary communities in the eastern Mediterranean region and adjacent inland zones during the early Neolithic. The designation is not universally accepted and does not point to a single, clearly bounded group; rather, it is used to group together material remains that share certain similarities in technology, settlement patterns, and subsistence.

Etymology and usage of the term vary among scholars. Mesothelae is built from Greek roots suggesting a “middle” or transitional phase, and it functions as a label rather than a precise cultural unit. Because definitions differ, the boundaries of Mesothelae overlap with other well-established phases of the Neolithic, such as Pre-Pottery Neolithic and Pottery Neolithic, depending on the site and interpretation.

Archaeological evidence for Mesothelae typically includes a mix of lithic technologies (such as microliths and ground-stone tools), occasional pottery in some locales, and settlement remains that indicate small, perhaps semi-subterranean houses. Economies are inferred to be mixed, combining gatherer-hunter activities with early plant cultivation and animal management in certain sites. Burial practices and ritual deposits show regional variation, contributing to debates about social organization and cultural cohesion within the proposed complex.

Chronology is debated and largely depends on site context, with dates generally placed in the early Neolithic, though exact timelines vary. Geographic distribution spans parts of the Levant and neighboring areas, reflecting broader patterns of the Neolithic transition rather than a single people.

Significance lies in its attempt to articulate the slow shift from mobile to settled lifeways. However, Mesothelae remains a contested label, and many researchers prefer more narrowly defined cultural labels for individual sites or regions.