Prehistoric archaeology has profited enormously from the expanding role of technological examination of artifacts, particularly in the past two decades. Indeed, the rapid growth of materials sciences studies has begun to outpace the capacity of many prehistoric archaeologists to accommodate the results of technological analyses into anthropological models to explain perceived changes in the prehistoric archaeological record. The increasing numbers of published technological reports, account for some of the communications lag among prehistorians and materials scientists. But long held and persistent myths and hearsay evidence also contribute to a widening gap between relevant data and critical evaluation. This case study compares scenarios that purport to explain striking contrasts in the northern and southern parts of the Levant during the middle part of the Neolithic period, particularly from ca. 6500-5000 BC. The hypothesis involving climatic change is briefly dismissed; the other hinges principally on the environmental implications of plaster production that characterized the cultures of the region. The collapse of the southern Levantine settlements is understandable when the specific requirements of lime plaster manufacture are considered, while the conditions for the persistence of long-term site continuity in the northern Levant are clear under the less pressing environmental demands of gypsum plaster production.