Archaeological Sciences and the Development of Complexity in the Ancient Near East
A special issue of Humans (ISSN 2673-9461).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 119
Special Issue Editor
Interests: zooarchaeology; Ancient Near East; complex societies; political economy; Mesopotamia; Bronze and Iron Ages; ancient food provisioning; anthropology; archaeology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue highlights innovative research in archaeological sciences focused on the Ancient Near East, a region central to the emergence of cities, states, and enduring forms of social complexity. Contributions will feature a range of scientific methods, including proteomics, isotope analysis, and mass spectrometry, alongside palaeobotany, geoarchaeology, zooarchaeology, and archaeometallurgy. The aim of this Special Issue is to investigate subsistence strategies, mobility, technological innovation, and human–environment interaction. By pushing the boundaries of material sciences, biomolecular, and geo-scientific methods, these studies generate critical evidence for how ancient communities adapted to environmental challenges and laid the foundations of increasingly complex societies.
We particularly encourage submissions that connect these methods and analytical techniques to the lived experiences of past communities, demonstrating how scientific data illuminate questions of identity, resilience, and power negotiation. Papers should situate technical findings within broader anthropological and historical debates, avoiding a narrow focus on artifacts or methods alone. By integrating scientific evidence with human-centered interpretation, this issue seeks to advance understanding of how the interplay between environment, technology, and society drove the development of complexity in the Ancient Near East.
Dr. Tina L. Greenfield
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Humans is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- archaeological science
- Ancient Near East
- social complexity
- identity
- power
- resilience
- human-environment interaction
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
