Abstract :
Fieldwork in the Late Prehistory of Jordan’s basalt-strewn Black Desert has a history of more than thirty years of research, and recent investigations over the past five years have begun to clarify many of the aspects of the character of the landscape and the exploitation of its resources during the Late Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Early Bronze Age. There are many areas of the Black Desert that demonstrate repeated visits to the same locations, undoubtedly on a seasonal basis corresponding with reliable water resources during the winter and early spring. Two areas — the basalt-topped mesas c. 60 km east of North Azraq and Wisad Pools, about 60 km farther to the east — show contrasting patterns of aggregation, possibly related, in part, to changes in precipitation between c. 6,500 and 2,500 BC. Wisad Pools, in particular, appears to be much more frequently visited, even into historic times, and the distribution of tumuli clusters suggest that the site may have witnessed more than economic and ritual activities.
NaturalLanguageKeyword :
Eastern Azraq Mesas , Wisad , Late prehistory , Seasonal aggregation , Water availability
