Basta
بسطة · Basta Village · Baasta
LPPNB (Late PPNB)·Levantine LPPNB·🇯🇴 Ma'an Governorate, Jordan
About
About Basta
Late Pre-Pottery Neolithic B village (7500–6800 BCE, up to 10 ha), one of the largest and highest-altitude Neolithic settlements, controlling the Petra limestone plateau. Two-story stone architecture with ground-floor storage and massive perimeter wall, burnt bead workshop, and mother-of-pearl trade. Nissen, Gebel & Starck excavations revealed social stratification — large 'central building' vs smaller houses — and intentional desertion with burning.
Why it mattersLargest LPPNB mountain settlement; early social hierarchy and long-distance trade.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Why two-story architecture at 1460 m?
- 02Intentional abandonment by fire — ritual?
Theories
- 01Sedentarization of mobile pastoralists; stratified chiefdom
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.7500–6800 BCE
- Period
- LPPNB (Late PPNB)
- Culture
- Levantine LPPNB
- Builders
- Highland PPNB pastoralists
- Purpose
- Highland agro-pastoral trade hub; bead production
- Abandoned
- c.6800 BCE (deliberate burning)
- Rediscovered
- 1986 Nissen/Gebel survey
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
1986
Survey discovers Basta
c.7000 BCE
Two-story wall built
On the ground
Structures & features
30.2361° N · 35.5369° E · 1460 m · 3 mapped features
Central Building (Area A)
houseLarge 10×4 m double-story structure
30.2363° N · 35.5371° EBead workshop (Area B)
workshopMother-of-pearl and turquoise beads
30.2359° N · 35.5367° EPerimeter wall
wallMassive enclosure wall
30.2360° N · 35.5370° E
Gallery