THE PREHISTORY of the BASALT Desertj TRANSJORDAN
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THE PREHISTORYOF THE BASALT DESERTj TRANSJORDAN AN ANALYSIS Alison Venetia Graham Betts Thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy London University, Institute of Archaeology February 1986 I f Summary The content of this thesis is based on original fieldwork by the candidate in the Black Desertj the basalt region of eastern Jordan. Very little is known about the prehistoric sequence of occupation in the area. The thesis attempts to outline this sequence through analysis of the survey data, and compare it to existing information from the better documented areas of Palestine and Syria. The first chapter describes the environment of the study area, both at present and in history, and sets out the survey and sampling techniques used in the study. The second chapter gives a brief descript ion of the slender evidence for Lower and Middle Paleolithic in the region and the third chapter examines the evidence for the Epipaleolithic, comparing sites found on the survey with those from similar contexts and more contrasting ones in the fertile areas to the west. The fourth chapter covers fhe extensive evidence for aceramic Neolithic occupation and discusses the typelist adopted for the analysis. It describes the types of sites of this period, and includes detailed analyses of two excavated assemblages to demonstrate the special' character of the sites in the survey area. The fifth chapter continues the discussion into the later Neolithic when there is a significant change in subsistance strategies in the desert. Many sites and findspots have been recorded for this period. The nature of their chipped stone 2 industries and their distribution are examined and analysed, and contrasted with the evidence for this period from surrounding areas. The sixth chapter outlines the evidence for post-Neolithic occupation in the study area and elsewhere in the desert regions. It also presents the data for the chipped stone assemblage from Jawal an intrusive Late Chalcolithic/Early Bronze industry, the Cananean, typical of Palestine and western Syria. The final chapter sums up the results of the work and presents conclusions. 3 Table of Contents Table of Contents 4 List of Figures 5 Frontisp iece 9 Acknowle dgements 10 Chapter I THE SURVEY AREA 17 Introduction 17 Research Background 19 22 Terminology .... 0 ........ 23 Modern Environment 0.0.00.. 8.90. 28 Ancient Environment 0000.060.9006 33 Sampling and Methodology 8 ... 0 ..... so. 40 Chapter 2 LOWERAND MIDDLE PALEOLITHIC . 069NO460,1064 42 Survey sites 0029S. S669498 49 Chapter 3 UPPER PALEOLITHIC AND EPIPALEOLITHIC ............ 32 1407 Khallat 'Anaza 99.0.00 0840.. 68 3114 Qa*a es-Subhi . 8900.00@4068 74 Discussion 68980066906.6 Chapter 4 PRE-POTTERYNEOLITHIC A/B 97 Typology 97 115 2202 Dhuweila ........ o .... 147 3133 Ibn el-Shazzi ............. 169 Survey sites ......... o ... 187 Discussion ....... o ..... 201 Chapter 5 "BURIN SITES* (LATE NEOLITHIC) ........... oo 202 2321 Jebel NaJa ........... o. 223 Survey sites .... 0 ........ 258 Discussion ............. 272 Chapter 6 CHALCOLITHIC AND EARLY BRONZEAGE ....... 0 ..... 272 Jawa ............. 287 Discussion ............. 300 Chapter 7 CONCLUSIONS .... o ........ 314 Bibliogr aphy ........ oo ... 4 List of FiggEll 1.1 Near East: location of the lava belt (Black Desert) 13 1.2 Near East: modern political boundaries and the location of the study area 9460413 1.3 The Syrian Desert: main features of drainage and location of principal wells and oases ..... 14 1.4 The Black Desert: extent of lava and main features of drainage 1.5 The Black Desert, eastern Jordan: general survey areas 1.6 The Black Desert, eastern Jordani major zones of environmental diversity 2.1 The Black Desert, eastern Jordan: location of Middle Palealithic sites 45 2.2 Survey sites: artefacts ..... 46 2.3 Survey sitest artefacts ..... 2.4 Survey sites: artefacts ..... 47 3.1 The Black Desert, eastern Jordan: location of major Epipaleoloithic sites ..... 48 3.2 Khallat 'Anaza 1407: site plan 0.96051 3.3 1407: relative proportions of excavated 54 debitage types ..... 55 3.4 1407: absolute and average dimensions of cares . @, 57 3.5 1407: relative proportions of tool types ..... 3.6 1407: width distribution in flakes and blade/bladelets e***59 3.7 1407: relative proportions of Helwan and 60 other lunates ..... 61 3.8 1407: relative frequencies of lunate lengths ..... 63 3.9 1407: debitage ..... 65 3.10 1407: tools ..... 67 3.11 1407: tools ..... 69 3.12 3114: relative proprtions of tool types .. *.. 71 3.13 3114: tools ..... 73 3.14 3114: tools ..... 3.15 1611: debitage 8888689 3.16 Survey sites: debitage .. 80.91 3.17 1623: tools 0.00093 3.18 Survey sitest tools ses.. 95 4.1 Black Desertl eastern Jordan: location of major Pre-Pottery Neolithic B sites ..... 96 4.2 Neolithic tools: schematic typology ... 4.99 4.3 2202: absolute T/W ratios and schematic representation of Type 5 arrows (excavated) .... 104 4.4 Dhuweila 2202i site plan .... 114 116 4.5 2202: rock carvings .... 4.6 2202: absolute proportions of excavated debitage 119 groups :. ' * 4.7 2202: analysis of 100 flakes and 100 blades . 120 4.8 2202: absolute and average dimensions of excavated cores and blanks .... 123 5 4.9 2202: absolute and average dimensions of excavated burins 124 arrows and .... tool 4.10 2202: absolute proportions of major groups .... 124 4.11 2202: absolute proportions of tool groups .. 0.131 133 4.12 2202: debitage e. 135 4.13 2202: tools ... 4.14 2202: tools .... 137 4.15 2202: tools eo. *139 tools 141 4.16 2202: .... 4.17 PPNB incised flint 145 sites: cortex .... 4.18 Ibn 3133: 146 el-Ghazzi site plan .... 4.19 3133: absolute proportions of excavated debitage 148 groups .... 3133: 100 149 4.20 analysis of flakes and 100 blades .... 4.21 3133: absolute and average dimensions of excavated blanks cores and . 060150 4.22 3133: absolute and average dimensions of excavated arrows and burins 668.151 4.23 3133: 152 absolute proportions of major tool groups .... 4.24 3133: 157 absolute proportions of tool groups .... 4.25 3133: debitage 160 .... 4.26 3133: tools 162 .... 4.27 3133: tools 164 .... 4.28 3133: tools 166 .... 4.29 3133: tools 168 .... 4.30 Survey 176 sites: debitage .... 4.31 Survey 178 sites: tools .... 4.32 Survey ISO sites: tools .... 4.33 Survey 182 sites: tools .... 4.34 "kites*: tools 184 .... 4.35 "kites": 186 tools .... 4.36 Black Desert: general distribution of *kites' 4.37 Black Desertl eastern Jordan: location of 190 surveyed "kites" a ... 5.1a Black Desertv eastern Jordan: location of major "burin 200 sites" .... 200 5.1b Near East: location of "burin sites" .... 5.2 2321: absolute proportions of excavated debitage 203 groups .... 5.3 2321: flakes 100 206 analysis of 100 and blades .... 5.4 2321: absolute and average dimensions of cores, blanks 207 and burins .... 207 5.5 2321: absolute proportions of major tool groups .... * 211 5.6 2321: absolute proportions of tool groups .... 5.7 2321: absolute proportions of burin types .... 211 212 5.8 Ibn el-Shazzi 2321: site plan .... 5.9 2321: debitage .... 214 216 5.10 2321: tools .... 5.11 2321: tools .... 218 220 5.12 2321: tools .... 222 5.13 2321: tools ..,. 5.14 1601: absolute proportions of tool groups .... 224 5.15 1601: absolute and average dimensions of concave truncation 225 burins .... 5.16 1630: tool 227 absolute proportions of groups .... 6 5.17 1630: absolute and average dimensions of concave truncation burins .... 228 5.18 1636: absolute proportions of tool groups .... 230 5.19 1636: absolute and average dimensions of concave truncation burins .... 231 5.20 2303: absolute proportions of tool groups .... 233 5.21 2303: absolute and average dimensions of concave truncation burins .... 234 236 5.22 2308: absolute proportions of tool groups .... 5.23 2308: absolute and average dimensions of concave 237 truncation burins .... 5.24 2329: general site plan .... 238 240 5.25 2329: absolute proportions of tool groups .... 5.26 2329: absolute and average dimensions of concave 241 truncation burins .... 243 5.27 2321: absolute proportions of tool groups .... 5.28 2331: absolute and average dimensions of concave 244 truncation burins .... 5.29 Survey burin sites: absolute proportions of major tool groups .... 246 5.30 Neolithic sites: relative proportions of major tool groups (log) .... 247 5.31 Survey burin sites: relativ e proportions of , 248 major tool groups (log) .... 5.32 Relative proportions of major tool groups from 248 survey sites with >99 tools .... 248 5.33 2321: relative proportions of major tool types .... 5.34 Non-survey burin sites: absolute totals of major 249 tool groups .... 251 5.35 Survey sites: tools .... 253 5.36 Survey sites: tools .... 255 5.37 Survey sites: tools .... 257 5.38 Survey sites: tools .... 6.1 Black desert, eastern Jordan: location of major 271 Chalcolithic/EB sites :. ' 0 * 275 6.2 Jawa: schematic typology . 280 6.3 Jawa: tools .... 282 6.4 Jawa: tools .... 2B4 6.5 Jawa: tools .... 286 6.6 Jawa: tools .... 295 6.7 Survey sites: tools .... 7.1 Black Desert, eastern Jordan: location of Middle Paleolithic sites .... 309 7.2 Black Desert, eastern Jordan: location of Epipaleolithic sites 310 7.3 Black Desert, eastern Jordan: location of ppNB sites 7.4 Black Desertj eastern Jordan: location of 312 mburin siteso ... 7.5 Black Desertq easter n Jordan: location of Chalcolithic/EB sites . m.. 313 7 "On the way there we met neither man nor beast for the country was undulating hgECjj a black waste of flints with no sign of life. A flint pierced the oil container of the American baggage car, but we were able to hammer it down and solder it satisfactorily with a fig. " Agnes Horsfield (1943) Journey to Kilwa, Transjordan The Geographical Journal CII/2 a NASA Skylab: The Azraq Basin 9 Acknowledgements The Black Desert Surveyl the project on which this thesis is based, began in 1979 and between then and completion of the text, a great number of people and Institutions have given all kinds of help, assistance and co-operation.