The Early Neolithic period is also called Aceramic or the Pre-Pottery Neolithic (abbreviated PPN). A lot of research concerning this period has been done in the 1980s and 1990s and several new sites have recently been located. More and detailed evidence is published in quite a fast pace and there are many ongoing discussions about the period and its nature. The period has tree major phases (PPNA, PPNB, and PPNC), of which PPNB is divided into early, middle and late. The main reason why this period and the preceding Natufian have been so intensively studied, is that traditionally these time periods are considered to be the initial phases of agriculture, domestication and permanent village populations. In the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period the environment in the Southern Levant also changed from a moister climate towards a more arid climate.

A located site in the Sabra area, named Sabra 1, has artefacts dated to the earliest period or PPNA. It belongs to an industry called Khiamian after the Egyptian site el-Khiam. No structures were recorded and the researchers think the place was a seasonally occupied campsite. No extensive excavations have been conducted at Sabra 1 or at ad-Dhaman, an other site from the same period and also located in Wadi Sabra. Another site from this period, named Shaqqarat Mazyad, was located by the German survey in 1983. It is about 13 km north of Petra on a large saddle-like formation. A Danish team has recently excavated at the site. Their research has so far revealed similar kind of circular structures as found in Beidha, which probably is the most famous and important site in the Petra area, besides Petra itself.

From the Late Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (LPPNB) there is one site called Ba´ja that should be mentioned. It is located in a very spectacular setting about 10 km north of Petra.

Ba´ja was quite large but the spectacular setting restricted its size. In other areas the LPPNB villages grew in size and probably also the social organization of the people living there underwent a change. This growth to very large villages has been called "the mega site phenomenon". In the Petra area there is a good example of this in the modern village of Basta, located about 12 km southeast of Petra. The ancient Basta is situated under the modern village and its size is estimated to ca. 10 hectares! The excavations were very rich in finds with interesting details, as e.g. channels found under the floors of the houses. In these channels burials were found which shows that deceased persons were buried under the floors and also moved around after their burial.

Further reading

 Early History of the Petra Area - The Late Neolithic

 Early History of the Petra Area - Introduction