Ain Ghazal Excavation Reports 2: Evolution of Lithic Economies
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bibliotheca neolithica Asiae meridionalis et occidentalis Editors-in-Chief: Hans Georg K. Gebel Gary O. Rollefson Editors of the ‘Ain Ghazal Excavation Reports Gary O. Rollefson Zeidan A. Kafafi Alan H. Simmons Cooperating Institutions for Publishing this Volume: Faculty of Archaeology and Anthropology, Yarmouk University, Irbid Department of Antiquities, Amman Financial Support for Printing this Volume: Whitman College, Walla Walla ex oriente e.V., Berlin Managing Editor of this Volume, Layout: Hans Georg K. Gebel ‘Ain Ghazal Excavation Reports Volume 2 Evolution of Lithic Economies in the Levantine Neolithic: Development and Demise of Naviform Core Technology, as Seen at ‘Ain Ghazal Leslie A. Quintero bibliotheca neolithica Asiae meridionalis et occidentalis & Monograph of the Faculty of Archaeology and Anthropology (Yarmouk University) ex oriente, Berlin (2010) address of the bibliotheca neolithica Asiae meridionalis et occidentalis: ex oriente e.V., c/o Institut für Vorderasiatische Altertumskunde, Freie Universität Berlin, Hüttenweg 7, 14195 Berlin, Germany Copyright: ex oriente e.V., Berlin (2010) Printed in Germany by dbusiness GmbH, Berlin ISSN 1616-9360 (bibliotheca neolithica Asiae meridionalis et occidentalis) ISBN 978-3-9811888-4-4 Cover design by Yusuf Zu'bi, Yarmouk University (supported by G. Rollefson, Z. Kafafi, and S. Schaefer). Cover photo of ‘Ain Ghazal MPPNB blade cache by author, of ‘Ain Ghazal Central Field 1993 by Yusuf Zu'bi. ‘AIN GHAZAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH PROJECT Joint Enterprise of the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at Yarmouk University at Irbid, the ‘Ain Ghazal Research Institute, Wembach (1992-1998), the Department of Antiquities of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, supported by Department of Antiquities, Amman Yarmouk University, Irbid Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada American Center for Oriental Research, Amman National Endowment for Humanities (1988-1989, 1999, 2007) National Geographic Society (1983-1985, 1988-1989) ‘Ain Ghazal Research Institute, Wembach (1992-1998) United States Agency for International Development (1993) Cobb Institute of Archaeology, Mississippi State University (1983-1984, 1988) Agnese Haury Foundation (1988, 1996) Friends of ‘Ain Ghazal (1995, 1998-1999) ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES vii LIST OF PLATES viii LIST OF TABLES x EDITORS’ FOREWORD xi PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xiii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION 1 Neolithic Economies 3 Naviform Core-and-Blade Technology 4 Neolithic ‘Ain Ghazal 6 Chapter 2. CULTURAL BACKGROUND 11 Epipaleolithic/Natufian 11 Pre-Pottery Neolithic 13 Pottery Neolithic 15 Chapter 3. ANALYTICAL METHODS AND THEIR HISTORY 17 Historical Framework of Near Eastern Research 18 New Directions in Lithic Research 20 Technological Systems Analysis 21 Behavioral Background 22 Replication-Based Analogies 23 Replicative Analyses and Chaînes Opératoires 24 Functional Studies 25 Technological Studies 26 Economic Organization: Problems and Potential 27 Summary Remarks on Near Eastern Methodologies 28 iii Chapter 4. RESEARCH OVERVIEW, IMPLEMENTATION, AND DATABASE 31 Introduction 31 Economic Organization 32 Socioeconomic Conditions of Craft Specialization 33 Initial Concepts 33 Levantine Framework 33 Current Concepts 34 Technological Evidence of Craft Specialization 35 Organization of Lithic Economies 36 Resource Procurement 37 Organization of Core-and-Blank Production 37 Production Technology 37 Resource-Selection Strategies 37 Core-and-Blank Production 38 Tool Production 38 Research Procedures 38 Procedure 1: Resource-Acquisition Analysis 38 Resource Survey 39 Laboratory Analysis 39 Procedure 2: Technological Analysis of Core-and-Blank Production 40 Procedure 3: Analysis of Lithic Debitage Loci 40 Data Base 41 Chapter 5. ‘AIN GHAZAL FLINT RESOURCES AND THE WADI 43 HUWEIJIR FLINT MINES Archaeological Background 43 Pottery Neolithic 43 Pre-Pottery Neolithic 44 ‘Ain Ghazal Data 45 Geological Field Research 46 Geological Environment 46 Field Survey 46 Wadi Huweijir Mines 47 Seam Mines 47 Mining Activities 54 Quarry Terraces 54 Discussion 55 iv Laboratory Experiments 56 Ultraviolet Fluorescence Analysis 56 Heat-Treatment Experiments 61 ‘Ain Ghazal Heat-Treatment Study 62 Summary 64 Discussion 64 Chapter 6. NAVIFORM CORE TECHNOLOGY 67 Background 67 Aspects of Technology 67 Technological History and Analytical Issues 68 Replicative Analysis 69 ‘Ain Ghazal Database and the Experimental Process 69 Resource Selection and Core Production 70 Replication Strategies 72 Core Production 74 Blade Production 79 Core Maintenance 92 Termination of Production Process 96 Naviform Core-and-Blade Technology: Constraints and Benefits 96 Chapter 7. DEBITAGE ANALYSIS 99 Analytical Procedures and Rational 99 Core Data: Core Typologies and Their Technological Implications 100 Naviform Blade Cores 101 Non-Naviform Blade Cores 109 Flake Cores 109 Debitage Loci: Chipping Floors, Workshops, and Debris Dumps 111 Background 111 Analytical Procedures and Rationale 116 Production Loci 116 Primary and Secondary Deposits 116 Activity Areas and Workshops 118 Application 119 Debitage Sample 120 Pre-Pottery Neolithic: MPPNB 120 Pre-Pottery Neolithic: LPPNB 130 Pre-Pottery Neolithic: PPNC 132 Yarmoukian Pottery Neolithic 134 v Blades, Flakes, and Tool Production 134 Summary 142 Chapter 8. SUMMARY EVALUATION 145 Organization of Lithic Technologies at ‘Ain Ghazal 145 Naviform-Core Technology and Specialized Production 145 Accessing Resources that are Difficult or Costly to Acquire 145 Technical Difficulty in Production and High Level of 146 Production Skill Standardization of the Core-and-Blade Production and 147 Process and Error-Reduction Strategies Standardization of Products 147 Production Efficiency 148 Workshops or Specialized Work Areas 148 Standard Production Tool Kits 148 Summary 149 PPNB Technological Dualism 149 PPNC and Yarmoukian Generalized Technologies 151 The Evolution of Lithic Economies 152 Epipaleolithic: An Economic View 152 Pre-Pottery Neolithic: Specialized and Generalized Economies 153 Pre-Pottery Neolithic C: Collapse of Economic Dualism 155 Concluding Thoughts 155 BIBLIOGRAPHY 157 vi LIST OF FIGURES Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Map of the Levant showing major sites discussed in the text 2 1.2 ‘Ain Ghazal maps 8 Chapter 5. ‘AIN GHAZAL FLINT RESOURCES AND THE WADI HUWEIJIR FLINT MINES 5.1 PPNB flint mines located in wadis Huweijir and Zarqa, and their position relative to the site of ‘Ain Ghazal 48 5.2 Schematic representation of cross section of wadi showing typical mining exposures 56 Chapter 6. NAVIFORM CORE TECHNOLOGY 6.1 Blade-production debitage. Schematic view 87 6.2 Schematic view of idealized representations of core-production and core-maintenance debitage 91 Chapter 7. DEBITAGE ANALYSIS 7.1 MPPNB naviform blade core reduced as a flake core 102 vii LIST OF PLATES Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Views of ‘Ain Ghazal 7 Chapter 5. ‘AIN GHAZAL FLINT RESOURCES AND THE WADI HUWEIJIR FLINT MINES 5.1 View of the lower course of Wadi Huweijir just above its confluence with Wadi Zarqa, looking southwest 49 5.2 View of flint seam mines on the north side of Wadi Huweijir 50 5.3 Horizontal seams of flint nodules in limestone matrix 51 5.4 Views of seam mines 52 5.5 Excavated cavities formed by extraction of flint nodule 53 5.6 Linear features in Wadi Huweijir that appear to be collapsed seam mines 57 5.7 Archaeological mining debris 58 5.8 Quarried terraces on north side of Wadi Huweijir 59 5.9 Tested and partially excavated flint nodules in north wall terrace features 60 Chapter 6. NAVIFORM CORE TECHNOLOGY 6.1 Refitted replication of naviform core reduction 73 6.2 MPPNB naviform cores 75 6.3 Preparation of naviform precore 76 6.4 Platform spall types: archaeological 80 6.5 Reduction series: removal of platform spalls and initial blade 81 6.6 Reduction series: replicated cores, front and back preparation 81 6.7 MPPNB naviform core and blade tools 83 6.8 Reduction series: replication of blade production 85 6.9 Reduction series: replication of core maintenance and blade production 86 6.10 Typical blade-production debitage: replications 88 6.11 Naviform core reduction: exploded view 90 6.12 Error-correction debitage and errors: “clean-up” blades and overshots 93 6.13 Lateral core-trimming elements 94 viii Chapter 7. DEBITAGE ANALYSIS 7.1 Naviform cores 103 7.2 Exhausted MPPNB naviform cores recycled as percussors 104 7.3 Face view of exhausted naviform cores from late MPPNB workshop (F14, locus 037) 105 7.4 Side view of same MPPNB cores pictured in Plate 7.3 106 7.5 LPPNB naviform cores 107 7.6 Naviform cores from PPNC and Yarmoukian contexts 108 7.7 Typical single-platform bladelet cores 108 7.8 Single-platform blade cores 110 7.9 Single-platform flake cores 112 7.10 Multi-platform flake cores 113 7.11 Discoidal flake cores 114 7.12 Overview of East Field of ‘Ain Ghazal 122 7.13 Excavation exposures of structure complexes on East Field slope, 1996 122 7.14 East Field LPPNB structures 123 7.15 MPPNB workshop debris pit 124 7.16 Two of the naviform cores from the MPPNB workshop deposit, as found 124 7.17 Workshop debitage, F14, locus 037 125 7.18 Workshop F14, locus 037, more debitage 126 7.19 Tool-production debitage and tools 128 7.20 Tool-production debitage and tools 129 7.21 MPPNB blade cache 138 7.22 MPPNB blade-cache bundle, as found beneath a plastered floor 138 7.23 Potential projectile point blanks in blade cache 139 7.24 Typical PPNB projectile points 139 7.25 Potential sickle blade blanks in blade cache 140 7.26 Typical PPNB sickle blades 140 7.27 PPNC/PN