COOKING FOOD IN THE FERTILE CRESCENT NEOLITHIC
The article provides an overview of information concerning the presence of cooking in the Fertile Crescent Neolithic. During the period of the pre-pottery Neolithic, cooking in organic and stone containers was done with the help of red-hot stones. Hearths with burnt stones are recorded during this period in various places in the Near East. In the initial period of the Pottery Neolithic, this technology could also be used. The vessels of the eastern part of Upper Mesopotamia (Proto-Hassuna and Hassuna periods) are made of clay with a high concentration of limestone. It is believed that they could not be used for cooking, because limestone breaks down when heated. However, traces of soot and smoke on the vessels, the presence of lids, as well as the fact that the ceramic fragments didn't collapse after repeated firing at a temperature of 850 °C indicate the opposite. It is possible that the vessels were subjected to additional processing to eliminate the negative effects of limestone. Thus, during the period of the Pottery Neolithic, cooking took place everywhere.