The Late Acheulean of the Azraq Basin, Jordan, and Its Implications for Hominin Dispersals into the Levant

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The Azraq Basin is an important physiogeographic feature and hydrological catchment area in the eastern desert of Jordan. At its heart are the Azraq wetlands, an ecologically fragile oasis complex characterized by the spring-fed historic Druze Marsh and rehabilitated Shishan Marsh. Archaeological investigation over the past 70 years has discovered multiple Late Acheulean sites in the basin, including butchering and knapping locales. Many sites are located around the wetlands due to the limited and fluctuating water availability. This paper explores the nature of Acheulean occupation within the Azraq Basin and its potential role in dispersal events into the Levant, with particular emphasis on cultural and geographic connections with the Arabian Peninsula. Recent research in the northwestern Arabian Peninsula has identified Late Acheulean occupation in the Nefud Desert. The consistencies between Acheulean lithic assemblages from the two regions may indicate population movement. Dispersing along palaeohydrological corridors could have allowed hominins to securely move through the Nefud Desert and into the Azraq Basin during MIS 9-6.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37220.0