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The decline of the early Neolithic population center of 'Ain Ghazal and corresponding earth-surface processes, Jordan Rift Valley

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 September 2012

Christoph Zielhofer ,
Lee Clare ,
Gary Rollefson ,
Stephan Wächter ,
Dirk Hoffmeister ,
Georg Bareth ,
Christopher Roettig ,
Heike Bullmann ,
Birgit Schneider  and
Hubert Berke
...Show all authors
Christoph Zielhofer*
Affiliation:
Physical Geography, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 19a, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
Lee Clare
Affiliation:
Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, Cologne University, Weyertal 125, D-50923 Cologne, Germany
Gary Rollefson
Affiliation:
Whitman College, 345 Boyer Avenue Walla Walla, WA 99362, USA
Stephan Wächter
Affiliation:
Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, Cologne University, Weyertal 125, D-50923 Cologne, Germany
Dirk Hoffmeister
Affiliation:
Institute of Geography, Cologne University, Zülpicher Straße 47, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
Georg Bareth
Affiliation:
Institute of Geography, Cologne University, Zülpicher Straße 47, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
Christopher Roettig
Affiliation:
Institute of Geography, Dresden University of Technology, Helmholzstr. 10, D-01069 Dresden, Germany
Heike Bullmann
Affiliation:
Physical Geography, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 19a, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
Birgit Schneider
Affiliation:
Physical Geography, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 19a, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
Hubert Berke
Affiliation:
Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, Cologne University, Weyertal 125, D-50923 Cologne, Germany
Bernhard Weninger
Affiliation:
Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, Cologne University, Weyertal 125, D-50923 Cologne, Germany
*
⁎Corresponding author. Email Address:[email protected]
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Abstract

'Ain Ghazal is among the earliest large population centers known in the Middle East. A total of four major stratigraphic cultural units have been identified: 1) The oldest Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (MPPNB) unit (10.2 to 9.5 cal ka BP) clearly corresponds with the early Holocene maximum Dead Sea levels. 2) The second unit consists of Late Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (LPPNB) in situ walls and hearths. 3) In the subsequent PPNC (8.9 to 8.6 cal ka BP) the population density at the settlement drops dramatically, which corresponds with a significant drop in the Dead Sea level. 4) The 4th stratigraphic unit is characterized by the “Yarmoukian rubble layer”. Additionally, there is evidence for a previously unrecognized use of the site by Chalcolithic pastoralists. Sedimentological analyses reveal a constant increase in dust from a remote source during the entire human occupation period, which correlates well with the detectable drops in climatic humidity from the Dead Sea. As the major focus of this study, we can now rule out previous notions that the “Yarmoukian” rubble layer could have been produced by (catastrophic) slope-scale gravitational movements. To this point, it appears that the Neolithic mega-site was abandoned due to a climatic aridification.

Keywords

Neolithic population centerEarth-surface processesRapid climate changes8.2 eventSouthern LevantGeoarcheology
Type
Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 78 , Issue 3 , November 2012 , pp. 427 - 441
Copyright
University of Washington

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