Reconstructing projectile technology during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B in the Levant: An integrated approach to large tanged points from Halula Ferran Borrell a, * , Denis  Stefanisko b a Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehist oricas de Cantabria, Universidad de Cantabria, Edificio Interfacultativo, Avenida de los Castros s/n, 39005, Santander, Spain b Department of Archaeology and Museology, Masaryk University, A. Nov aka 1, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic article info Article history: Received 17 September 2015 Received in revised form 20 March 2016 Accepted 1 April 2016 Keywords: Neolithic Levant Pre-Pottery Neolithic B Projectile technology Tanged points abstract Large tanged points made on bidirectional blades constitute the most characteristic tool type during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B in the Levant. Studies on projectile typology and on bidirectional technology have revealed important stylistic differences reflecting chronological and geographical patterning, contrib- uting significantly to the understanding of early farming communities in the Near East. However, the reconstruction of the weapons these large tanged points were part of has not received the same attention. This investigation aims to fully characterize stone point production at Halula, a PPNB settle- ment in the middle Euphrates valley, and reconstruct the type of weapons and delivery mechanisms used. Our study also includes the analysis of various ballistic attributes using a series of recent morpho- metric methods and comparison with ethnographic and experimental data about projectiles of known use. Results indicate that Byblos points might have been used as dart-points propelled with the help of spear-throwers, indicating a shift efrom bow to spear-throwere in projectile technology associated with the appearance and expansion of bidirectional blade technology during the PPNB in the Levant and synchronous with the consolidation of agricultural systems in the region. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Large tanged projectiles made on flint blades are a characteristic feature of lithic assemblages found in the western wing of the Fertile Crescent (Fig. 1) in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period (PPNB). They were made using a distinctive bidirectional blade technology that originated in the middle Euphrates valley around the mid-9th mil- lennium cal BC, at the beginning of the Early PPNB (Abb es, 2003). This technology rapidly diffused throughout the Levant during the 8th millennium cal BC, being strongly associated with the emer- gence and consolidation of village farming in the region. However, little is known about the weapons (spears, darts or arrows) the manufactured stone points were part of. This study is based on a large assemblage of points from Halula (Syria), a large PPNB settle- ment in the middle Euphrates valley, and seeks to reconstruct the type of weapons and delivery systems used at the site. Many studies have proved that bidirectional technology was oriented to producing large, robust, straight and naturally pointed central blades (e.g. Abb es, 2003; Barzilai, 2010; Borrell, 2011a; Nishiaki, 2000 and Quintero, 2010). Such targeted blades were used to produce a range of tools (e.g. sickle blades, scrapers, knives, etc.) but most of them were transformed into large, tanged projectile points (mostly of Byblos type but also Amuq, Ugarit, Jericho and other types). In this sense, large tanged projectiles are so abundant and specific to PPNB contexts that the term Big Arrowhead Industries (BAI) techno-complex was tentatively proposed as a chrono-cultural period instead of PPNB (Kozlowski, 1999). Lithic studies focused on bidirectional technology have permitted the reconstruction of the reduction sequences and the technological skills and behavioural patterns of its users, identi- fying different chronological and regional variants across the Levant during the PPNB (e.g. Barzilai, 2010; Borrell, 2011b and Nishiaki, 2000). Intensive research has also contributed to a better understanding of different cultural attributes of the first farming communities in the Levant, such as social complexity, inter-site and * Corresponding author. E-mail address: silmarils1000@hotmail.com (F. Borrell). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Archaeological Science journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jas http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2016.04.005 0305-4403/© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Journal of Archaeological Science 69 (2016) 130e142