Middle Pleistocene Subsistence in the Azraq Oasis, Jordan: Protein Residue and Other Proxies
Part of: Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)
Excavations at Shishan Marsh, a former desert oasis in Azraq, northeast Jordan, reveal a unique ecosystem and provide direct family-specific protein residue evidence of hominin adaptations in an increasingly arid environment approximately 250,000 years ago. In this session, we detail the lithic, faunal, paleo-environmental and residue data that suggest that Middle Pleistocene hominins were able to subsist in extreme arid environments through a reliance on surprisingly human-like adaptations.
Other Keywords
Jordan •
Middle Pleistocene •
Geoarchaeology •
Paleolithic •
Azraq •
Fauna •
Procurement •
Lithic Technology •
Paleoenvironment •
Lithics
Geographic Keywords
Asia (Continent) •
Republic of Turkey (Country) •
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Country) •
Republic of Iraq (Country) •
Islamic Republic of Iran (Country) •
State of Israel (Country) •
Lebanese Republic (Country) •
Syrian Arab Republic (Country) •
West Bank (Country) •
Republic of Cyprus (Country)
Resources Inside This Collection (Viewing 1-8 of 8)
- Documents (8)
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Dining Out in the Desert: Results From Protein Residue Analysis at the Azraq Oasis, Jordan (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Excavations at Shishan Marsh 1 (SM-1) have provided evidence of a unique ecosystem, along with faunal remains and over 10,000 artifacts made from local flint dating to approximately 250,000 years ago. Forty-six of these artifacts were selected for residue analysis from stratified, in-situ deposits. Extractions from these lithic tools were tested for possible protein residues using the technique of cross-over immunoelectrophoresis (CIEP). The SM-1 artifact extractions were run against eight...
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The environmental context of the Middle Pleistocene occupation at the Shishan Marsh, Azraq, Jordan (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
The Greater Azraq Oasis Area occupies a hyper-arid area of the Syro-Arabian Desert. Geomorphological and paleoecological evidence suggests that at times during the Pleistocene the region experienced moister conditions than at present. This particular study centers on the environment surrounding the Middle Pleistocene hominin occupation dated approximately 250,000 BP. Archaeological and archaeozoological remains from this occupation have provided significant information about the wide range of...
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Faunal Remains from Recent Excavations at Shishan Marsh 1 (SM1), a Lower Paleolithic Open-Air Site in the Azraq Wetlands, Jordan (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Excavations from 2013-2015 at the open-air site of Shishan Marsh 1 (SM1) located along the former wetlands shoreline in the Azraq Basin of eastern Jordan have yielded substantial Middle Pleistocene lithic assemblages in association with faunal remains. Skeletal preservation is poor, favoring the representation of megafaunal species and more robust elements. Multiple megafaunal taxa have been identified, including Gazella sp. (antelope), Bos cf. primigenius (wild cattle), Camelus sp. (wild...
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Handaxe Function at Shishan Marsh-1: Preliminary Results of an Experimental Use-Wear Analysis (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Although handaxes are one of the longest lasting and most iconic stone tools in the Paleolithic, little experimental work has been done to inform archaeologists about handaxe function. The research presented here explores handaxe function using low powered microscopy and an image-based GIS approach. 32 handaxes were created with chert collected from outcrops in the region surrounding Shishan Marsh-1. For the purpose of this study, the researchers focused on experiments involving subsistence...
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Lithic Technology and Reduction Strategies at Shishan Marsh 1 (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
The 2013-15 excavations at Shishan Marsh 1 have revealed an impressive array of stone tools at this Middle Pleistocene Oasis. More than 7000 stone tools including: handaxes, scrapers, modified and utilized flakes, burins, Levallois points and flakes, cores, small pebble tools and debitage associated with tool manufacture and refurbishing, have been analyzed. Analysis was conducted on all tools and debitage using the lithic attribute analysis method, and low and high power magnification to...
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Middle Pleistocene Lifeways in the Azraq Oasis, Jordan (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This introductory paper to the session on research underway at the Shishan Marsh I site in the Azraq Oasis, Jordan presents an overview of the results of our paleoenvironmental, faunal, lithic and site formation analyses. A model of targeted and repeated use of the marsh is suggested. These results are situated within their historic and regional contexts and their implications for understanding the capabilities of Middle Pleistocene hominins are also considered.
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A multi-proxy site formation analysis of a late Middle Pleistocene occupation in the Azraq wetlands of northeastern Jordan (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
The Azraq Marshes Archaeological and Paleoecological Project (AMAPP) aims to understand and evaluate the importance of the Azraq wetlands for Pleistocene hominin populations. Ongoing research since 2009 indicates that the northern wetland, the Druze Marsh, acted as a desert refugium for hominins throughout the Middle and Late Pleistocene. Excavations in the southern marsh—known as the Shishan Marsh—began in 2013 and uncovered a rich assemblage of bifaces, small tools, and flakes, along with...
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Raw material characterization and lithic procurement in the Azraq Basin, Jordan, during the Middle Pleistocene: Preliminary results. (2017)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Recent excavations at Shishan Marsh 1 in the Azraq Basin, Jordan, have uncovered several artifact-bearing layers that date to the Middle Pleistocene. A paleoecological assessment of sediments from this period indicates predominantly warm and dry conditions in the region, similar to those of the present. Hominins living under these harsh conditions were forced to contract around a receding spring- and wadi-fed water source for subsistence. In this way, the distances they could venture to acquire...