Early Bronze Age Pottery
Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel. Complete indexed photo collection at WorldHistoryPics.com
In the Jordan Valley, around 8000 BC, the inhabitants of Jericho constructed a massive stone tower and wall, among the earliest large-scale stone structures known. This was long before the invention of writing, yet the community organized enough labor to move and shape tons of stone. The purpose of these structures has been debated; they may have served as flood defenses or ritual sites rather than purely military fortifications. This suggests a complex society capable of collective projects without centralized written orders. Meanwhile, in central Anatolia, Çatalhöyük emerged around 7100 BC as one of the largest Neolithic communities. See our article on the Proto-Cities before Writing: Jericho, Çatalhöyük, and the Trypillia Mega-Sites.
cc0 — source (Wikimedia Commons). Free to reuse under the stated licence.
.jpg){kind=link}