The Steppic Early Natufian: Investigations in the Wadi al-Hasa, Jordan

Natufian Foragers in the Levant Terminal Pleistocene Social Changes in Western Asia edited by Ofer Bar-Yosef & François R. Valla INTERNATIONAL MONOGRAPHS IN PREHISTORY Archaeological Series 19 © 2013 by International Monographs in Prehistory All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved Paperback: ISBN 978-1-879621-45-9 Hard Cover: ISBN 978-1-879621-46-6 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Natufian foragers in the Levant : terminal Pleistocene social changes in Western Asia / edited by Ofer Bar-Yosef & François Valla. pages cm. -- (Archaeological series / International Monographs in Prehistory ; 19) Papers from a symposium held in 2009. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-879621-45-9 (paperback : acid-free paper) -- ISBN 978-1-879621-46-6 (hard cover : acid-free paper) 1. Natufian culture--Middle East--Congresses. 2. Hunting and gathering societies--Middle East--Congresses. 3. Pleistocene-Holocene boundary--Congresses. 4. Social archaeology--Middle East--Congresses. 5. Social change--Middle East--History--To 1500--Congresses. 6. Excavations (Archaeology)--Middle East--Congresses. 7. Middle East--Antiquities--Congresses. I. Bar-Yosef, Ofer. II. Valla, François Raymond. GN774.3.N38N28 2013 306.3›640956--dc23 2013035516 Printed with the support of the American School of Prehistoric Research (Peabody Museum, Harvard University) This book is printed on acid-free paper. ∞ International Monographs in Prehistory Ann Arbor, Michigan U.S.A. Table of Contents List of Contributors ................................................................................................................... vii Preface – The Natufian Culture in the Levant: Twenty Years Later Ofer Bar-Yosef and François R. Valla ............................................................................... xv Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................xix Northern Levant Natufian Lifeways in the Eastern Foothills of the Anti-Lebanon Mountains Nicholas J. Conard, Knut Bretzke, Katleen Deckers, Andrew W. Kandel, Mohamed Masri, Hannes Napierala, Simone Riehl and Mareike Stahlschmidt ..............................1 The Natufian of Moghr el-Ahwal in the Qadisha Valley, Northern Lebanon Andrew Garrard and Corine Yazbeck ..............................................................................17 The Natufian of Southwestern Syria Sites in the Damascus Province Kurt Felix Hillgruber ........................................................................................................28 The Natufian Occupations of Qarassa 3 (Sweida, Southern Syria) Xavier Terradas, Juan José Ibáñez, Franck Braemer, Lionel Gourichon and Luis C. Teira ...................................................................................................................................45 The Early Natufian Site of Jeftelik (Homs Gap, Syria) Amelia del Carmen Rodríguez Rodríguez, Maya Haïdar-Boustani, Jesús E. González Urquijo, Juan José Ibáñez, Michel Al-Maqdissi, Xavier Terradas and Lydia Zapata ..............................................................................................................61 Fish in the Desert? The Younger Dryas and its Influence on the Paleoenvironment at Baaz Rockshelter, Syria Hannes Napierala .............................................................................................................73 Preliminary Results from Analyses of Charred Plant Remains from a Burnt Natufian Building at Dederiyeh Cave in Northwest Syria Ken-ichi Tanno, George Willcox, Sultan Muhesen, Yoshihiro Nishiaki, Yousef Kanjo and Takeru Akazawa..............................................................................................83 Southern Levant El-Wad Spatial Organization of Natufian el-Wad through Time: Combining the Results of Past and Present Excavations Mina Weinstein-Evron, Daniel Kaufman and Reuven Yeshurun ...................................88 The Last Natufian Inhabitants of el-Wad Terrace Noga Bachrach, Israel Hershkovitz, Daniel Kaufman and Mina Weinstein-Evron..............................................................................................................107 Domestic Refuse Maintenance in the Natufian: Faunal Evidence from el-Wad Terrace, Mount Carmel Reuven Yeshurun, Guy Bar-Oz, Daniel Kaufman and Mina Weinstein-Evron ...........118 Natufian Green Stone Pendants from el-Wad: Characteristics and Cultural Implications Daniella E. Bar-Yosef Mayer, Naomi Porat and Mina Weinstein-Evron ......................139 Eynan The Final Natufian Structure 215-228 at Mallaha (Eynan), Israel: an Attempt at Spatial Analysis François R. Valla, Hamoudi Khalaily, Nicolas Samuelian, Anne Bridault, Rivka Rabinovich, Tal Simmons, Gaëlle Le Dosseur and Shoshana Ashkenazi ....................146 A Study of two Natufian Residential Complexes: Structures 200 and 203 at Eynan (Ain Mallaha), Israel Nicolas Samuelian ..........................................................................................................172 Graves in Context: Field Anthropology and the Investigation of Interstratified Floors and Burials Fanny Bocquentin, Teresa Cabellos and Nicolas Samuelian ........................................185 Obsidian in Natufian Context: the Case of Eynan (Ain Mallaha), Israel Hamoudi Khalaily and François R. Valla ......................................................................193 Flint Knapping and its Objectives in the Early Natufian. The Example of Eynan- Ain Mallaha (Israel) Boris Valentin, François R. Valla and Hugues Plisson with the collaboration of Fanny Bocquentin ...........................................................................................................203 Searching for the Functions of Fire Structures in Eynan (Mallaha) and their Formation Processes: a Geochemical Approach Ramiro J. March ..............................................................................................................227 Avifauna of the Final Natufian of Eynan Tal Simmons ....................................................................................................................284 Bone Ornamental Elements and Decorated Objects of the Natufian from Mallaha Gaëlle Le Dosseur and Claudine Maréchal ...................................................................293 Reconstruction of the Habitats in the Ecosystem of the Final Natufian Site of Ain Mallaha (Eynan) Shoshana Ashkenazi .......................................................................................................312 iv Southern Levant - other sites Wadi Hammeh 27: an open-air ‘base-camp’ on the Fringe of the Natufian ‘homeland’ Phillip C. Edwards, Fanny Bocquentin, Sue Colledge, Yvonne Edwards, Gaëlle Le Dosseur, Louise Martin, Zvonkica Stanin and John Webb ...........................................319 Art Items from Wadi Hammeh 27 Janine Major ...................................................................................................................349 The Final Epipaleolithic / PPNA site of Huzuq Musa (Jordan Valley) Dani Nadel and Danny Rosenberg.................................................................................382 Natufian Settlement in the Wadi al-Qusayr, West-Central Jordan Michael Neeley ................................................................................................................397 The Steppic Early Natufian: Investigations in the Wadi al-Hasa, Jordan Deborah I. Olszewski ......................................................................................................412 The Natufian of the Azraq Basin: An Appraisal Tobias Richter and Lisa A. Maher..................................................................................429 Chert Procurement Patterns And Exploitation Territory: Case Study From Late Natufian Hayonim Terrace (Western Galilee, Israel) Christophe Delage...........................................................................................................449 A Faunal Perspective on the Relationship between the Natufian Occupations of Hayonim Cave and Hayonim Terrace Natalie D. Munro ............................................................................................................463 The Natufian at Raqefet Cave György Lengyel, Dani Nadel and Fanny Bocquentin ....................................................478 Hof Shahaf: A New Natufian Site on the Shore of Lake Kinneret Ofer Marder, Reuven Yeshurun, Howard Smithline, Oren Ackermann, Daniella E. Bar-Yosef Mayer, Anna Belfer-Cohen, Leore Grosman, Israel Hershkovitz, Noa Klein and Lior Weissbrod ...............................................................................................505 The Life History of Macrolithic Tools at Hilazon Tachtit Cave Laure Dubreuil and Leore Grosman ..............................................................................527 General Reviews, Climate and Interpretations Breaking the Mould: Phases and Facies in the Natufian of the Mediterranean Zone Anna Belfer-Cohen and A. Nigel Goring-Morris ...........................................................544 Ruminations on the Role of Periphery and Center in the Natufian A. Nigel Goring-Morris and Anna Belfer-Cohen ...........................................................562 v The Natufian and the Younger Dryas Donald O. Henry .............................................................................................................584 Scaphopod Shells in the Natufian Culture Aldona Kurzawska, Daniella E. Bar-Yosef Mayer and Henk K. Mienis ......................611 The Natufian Chronological Scheme – New Insights and their Implications Leore Grosman ................................................................................................................622 Natufian Foragers and the ‘Monocot Revolution’: A Phytolith Perspective Arlene M. Rosen ..............................................................................................................638 Lithic Technology in the Late Natufian – Technological Differences between ‘Core-area’ and ‘Periphery’ Hila Ashkenazy ...............................................................................................................649 Variability of Lunates and Changes in Projectile Weapons Technology during the Natufian Alla Yaroshevich, Daniel Kaufman, Dmitri Nuzhnyy, Ofer Bar-Yosef and Mina Weinstein-Evron..............................................................................................................671 Specialized Hunting of Gazelle in the Natufian: Cultural Cause or Climatic Effect? Guy Bar-Oz, Reuven Yeshurun and Mina Weinstein-Evron .........................................685 Commensalism: was it Truly a Natufian Phenomenon? Recent Cntributions from Ethnoarchaeology and Ecology Lior Weissbrod, Daniel Kaufman, Dani Nadel, Reuven Yeshurun and Mina Weinstein-Evron..............................................................................................................699 vi The Steppic Early Natufian: Investigations in the Wadi al-Hasa, Jordan Deborah I. Olszewski Abstract Survey and excavations in the Wadi al-Hasa, Jordan, between 1979 and 1998 yielded three Natufian sites. WHS 1021 is an open-air site that was surface collected, while the open-air site at Tabaqa and the rockshelter at Yutil al-Hasa Area D were surface collected and excavated. A calibrated radiocarbon date from the lower deposits at Yutil al-Hasa Area D, as well as characteristics of the lithic assemblages from all three sites, places their occupations within the Early Natufian. There may be evidence for a transition from the Early to Late Natufian in the upper deposits of Area D at Yutil al-Hasa. In addition to lithics, Tabaqa and Yutil al-Hasa Area D yielded ground stone and some marine shell, as well as a limited amount of fauna. The Wadi al-Hasa Early Natufians appear to have maintained relatively mobile adaptations, perhaps because they occupied a steppic paleocontext in which their foraging behaviors were highly seasonal. The steppic conditions in the Wadi al-Hasa, however, were partially mitigated by the presence of marshes and ponds at tributary confluences. These likely served as attractive nodes for people, animals, and varied plant communities, although these locations do not seem to have favored longterm habitation in small village settings, such as are found in the Mediterranean forest context of the western Levant or at Wadi Hammeh 27 in the Western Highlands of Jordan. Introduction During the extensive surveys conducted between 1979 and 1982 by MacDonald (1988; MacDonald et al. 1980; 1982; 1983) on the south bank of the Wadi al-Hasa drainage and its tributaries in west-central Jordan, more than 1,070 sites were found. Surveys in 1992 and 1993 by Clark (Clark et al. 1992; 1994) on the north bank of the Wadi al-Hasa and its tributary drainages yielded more than 530 sites. Of the >1,600 sites from the two survey projects, 19 were recorded as Upper Paleolithic/Epipaleolithic and 11 as Epipaleolithic. Of these 30 sites, only two were identified from surface collections as Natufian (Byrd and Rollefson 1984:143), as well as one area of one site during later test excavations (Clark et al. 1994; Olszewski et al. 1994). The rarity of Natufian sites in the Wadi al-Hasa region is not unusual, as, despite extensive surveys in many parts of Jordan, sites of this period are relatively uncommon (Olszewski 2008:60–62). Of the sites with Natufian occupations (all located during the MacDonald surveys), WHS 1021, Tabaqa (WHS 895), and Yutil al-Hasa Area D (WHS 784) yielded materials that, based on typology, are Early Natufian (Byrd and Colledge 1991; Byrd and Rollefson 1984; Olszewski et al. 1994), although the surface collection from WHS 1021 did not contain diagnostic lithics (see below). Later test excavations also yielded one radiocarbon date from Yutil al-Hasa Area D (Olszewski 2010:89–90) that places the occupation there in the Early Natufian. The materials from these sites are described below as evidence of the steppic adaptations of the Early Natufian in the eastern Levant, between 15,000 and 13,000 cal BP. Overview of the Sites Geology and Paleoenvironment The Wadi al-Hasa drainage system, encompassing 1,740 km2, is a perennial watercourse in the central Jordanian Plateau (Schuldenrein 1998:205–207; Schuldenrein and Clark 1994:34– 36). The drainage system resulted from tectonic activity along the Jordan Rift Valley and the region contains dozens of major and minor faults (Donahue and Beynon 1988:27–29; Al Hisa [al ‘Ina] Geological Map 1996). These have created two sub-basins, an upper and lower Hasa (Schuldenrein 1998:207, 224), with tributary wadis most extensive in the upper (or eastern) Hasa sub-basin. Yutil al-Hasa Area D is in the upper sub-basin, but very close to 412 the “dividing” line between the sub-basins, while WHS 1021 and Tabaqa are in the lower sub-basin (Fig. 1). All three sites are in the portion of the drainage system that contains steeper topography than the gently rolling hills that feature in most of the upper sub-basin. During much of the later Pleistocene, the eastern sub-basin contained Pleistocene Lake Hasa, which appears to have formed due either to sediment damming at the confluence of the Wadis er-Ruwayhi/ ad-Diba and al-Hasa (Olszewski 2003:236) or to a combination of sediment damming and faulting further downstream (Schuldenrein and Clark 1994:35; 2001:27–28). By the time of Natufian occupation in the Wadi al-Hasa region, however, Pleistocene Lake Hasa had drained (either because of faulting or headward erosion breaching of sediment damming at the Wadis er-Ruwayhi/ad-Diba confluence with the Wadi al-Hasa). Continued sediment damming at tributary confluences farther downstream, rainfall Fig. 1. Early Natufian sites in the Wadi al-Hasa, Jordan. The dashed line indicates the division between the upper sub-basin (in which Yutil al-Hasa is contained) and the lower sub-basin (where Tabaqa and WHS 1021 are situated)(cf. Schuldenrein 1998). 413 Deborah I. Olszewski runoff, and spring activity, however, created large ponds at these confluences (these are not, contra Schuldenrein and Clark [2001:27], an extension of Pleistocene Lake Hasa). During the late Pleistocene Natufian occupations in the Wadi al-Hasa region, the paleolandscape was characterized by Irano-Turanian steppic vegetation. Plant communities would have consisted of a diverse array of wild grasses, including Stipa and cereals such as barley (Hordeum), sages (especially Artemisia herba-alba), goosefoot family (e.g. Haloxylon articulatum and Salsola villosa), and other grasses, scrub, herbs, and shrubs (e.g. Poa sinaica, Noaea mucronata, Astragalus spinosus). Taller shrubs and trees would have included tamarisk (Tamarix spp.), almond (Amydalus communis), and terebinth (Pistacia atlantica) (Cordova 2007:98–104). Areas near the large ponds at the wadis’ confluences would have been marshy and included reeds (Phragmites spp.); these somewhat better watered locales would have mitigated an otherwise relatively dry habitat and served as focal points in Natufian use of the Wadi al-Hasa region, much as they (and the former Pleistocene Lake Hasa) did earlier in the Epipaleolithic and Upper Paleolithic (Coinman and Olszewski 2007; Olszewski and Coinman 2002). In fact, Tabaqa is located within the ponded sediments at the confluence of the Wadi Ahmar with the Wadi al-Hasa and WHS 1021 is located nearby in the Wadi al-Hasa. Yutil al-Hasa Area D is situated just upstream of the paludal sediments characterizing the Wadis al-Hasa and Khasra confluence (see Fig. 1). WHS 1021 WHS 1021 was located during the 1982 survey of the south bank and was surface collected (MacDonald et al. 1983). It is situated about 80 m south of the Wadi al-Hasa channel and about 700 m upstream from the confluence with the Wadi Ahmar. Described as a small, open-air chipping station, it yielded a lithic assemblage of distinctively patinated grey chert, although no diagnostic lithics were reported (Byrd and Rollefson 1984:150). The similarity of the raw material to that from Tabaqa suggested the likelihood that WHS 1021 is of Early Natufian affiliation (see below). Byrd and Rollefson (1984:150) also noted the presence of several stone clusters that were exposed by erosion, and suggested that these might be the remains of architectural features. In 1997, an attempt was made to relocate WHS 1021 for further investigation, but no traces of it could be found. This may be due to agricultural fields now present in the Wadi al-Hasa, as well as a significant flood event that occurred in the early 1990s. Tabaqa The open-air site of Tabaqa (WHS 895; Fig. 2) is buried in the paludal sediments of the heavily dissected 30–35 m terrace, about 300 m east of the current channel of the Wadi Ahmar and about 800 m south-southeast of the confluence of the Wadi Ahmar with the Wadi al-Hasa (see Fig. 1). It is approximately 700 m southwest of WHS 1021, although there is no line of sight between the two sites because of a large hill that rises some 100 m in-between them. Tabaqa was located during the 1982 south bank survey (MacDonald et al. 1983) and then revisited for further investigation by Byrd and Colledge (1991), who conducted additional surface collection and tested the subsurface deposits by excavating a section cut along one of the erosional channels. Due to the extensive dissection of the terrace, cultural materials (primarily lithics) are distributed over a very wide spatial area, estimated by Byrd and Colledge (1991:266) to be approximately 10,000 m2, although they noted that the site was likely to be much smaller in aerial extent. Recent work at the site in 1997 clarified the spatial distribution of surface materials, which appears to be about 1,200 m2, but this still is undoubtedly larger than the actual extent of the site (Olszewski et al. 1998a:62; Olszewski and Hill 1997). Byrd and Colledge‘s (1991) section cut revealed a 30 – 40 cm thick occupational horizon. The 1997 excavations relocated their section cut, where two contiguous 1 x 1 m units were excavated; these confirmed the 30 – 40 cm Early Natufian horizon, and noted that cultural materials were relatively dispersed within this zone, suggesting minor displacement by gently moving water (Olszewski et al. 1998a:62–64). An additional two 1m x 1m units were excavated about 40 m south of the first two units (see Fig. 2) and also yielded Early Natufian materials. The occupation horizon at Tabaqa varies in depth below modern ground surface (near surface to about 2 m below surface) due to the differential erosion of the terrace. Agricultural furrowing occurred in late 1997/early 1998, but while closely approaching the site, does not appear to have impacted it. Yutil al-Hasa Area D The site of Yutil al-Hasa is a series of collapsed rockshelters found during the 1982 south bank 414 The Steppic Early Natufian: Investigations in the Wadi al-Hasa, Jordan survey (MacDonald et al. 1983). It is situated on a finger ridge and is about 10 m to 20 m (depending on the specific occupation area at the site) above the current Wadi al-Hasa channel, in the section of the wadi where the drainage narrows and topography becomes relatively steep (see Fig. 1). The site is approximately 6 km upstream from Tabaqa and WHS 1021. Yutil al-Hasa has been test excavated three times, in 1984 (Clark et al. 1988; Olszewski et al. 1990), in 1993 (Clark et al. 1994; Olszewski et al. 1994), and in 1998 (Coinman et al. 1999; Olszewski et al. 1998b). These excavations revealed three phases of occupation at the site (Fig. 3). In Areas A and B of the lower collapsed rockshelter are Late Upper Paleolithic (Late Ahmarian) deposits, while in Area C of this lower rockshelter and Area E on the slope above the rockshelter are Early Epipaleolithic (Nebekian) deposits (Olszewski 1997, 2006). Farther upslope, in what may represent another collapsed rockshelter, is Area D, where the Early Natufian occupation occurred. Area D was excavated in 1993 with a 1 x 1 m unit; in 1998, a second 1 x 1 m unit was excavated adjacent to the first unit. Both were excavated to bedrock, which slopes from about 50 cm to 115 cm below modern ground surface (Coinman et al. 1999; Olszewski et al. 1998b). It is difficult to estimate the aerial extent of the Area D occupation because the site slope is overlain by very large boulders (perhaps representing rockshelter collapse), which make access to the deposits difficult; nonetheless, the Early Natufian occupation is likely to have been quite small, perhaps on the order of 10 m2 or less. Of note are a series of bedrock mortars and cupmarks in the bedrock ledge above the site (see Fig. 3); a number of these are patinated, suggesting antiquity, although they cannot be dated definitively to the Early Natufian occupation at Yutil al-Hasa. Sometime between 1998 and 2000 (when the site was revisited), many of these bedrock features were destroyed by vandalism. Early Natufian in the Wadi al-Hasa The Wadi al-Hasa Early Natufian sites yielded several types of materials—chipped stone, ground stone, fauna, shell, phytoliths, pollen, macrobotanicals, and charcoal. Lithics, however, are the most abundant, particularly because preservation of other materials was poor in all the site contexts during the Early Natufian here (Fig. 4). WHS 1021, as a surface collection, produced only lithics. Fig. 2. Looking north at Tabaqa. The Byrd and Colledge (1991) section cut and two of the 1997 units are at A; the remaining two 1997 units are at B. Site WHS 1021 is in the Wadi al-Hasa on the other side of the hill in the right middle of the photograph (photo by D.I. Olszewski). 415 Deborah I. Olszewski Fig. 3. Looking west at Yutil al-Hasa. Area D contains the Early Natufian occupation; Area A/B is Late Upper Paleolithic; Areas C and E are Early Epipaleolithic. The current channel of the Wadi al-Hasa runs immediately below the site. Note people for scale in Areas C, D, and E (photo by D.I. Olszewski). Chipped Stone The surface collection from WHS 1021 does not contain diagnostic elements. However, as noted by Byrd and Rollefson (1984:150): “The color, patina, and morphology of the artefacts is very similar to the artefacts recovered at Tabaqa. Therefore it appears that the site also dates to the Natufian.” Personal examination of the WHS 1021 collection confirms these observations. Additionally, stone raw material use in the Wadi al-Hasa during the Natufian is unlike earlier periods, and the lithic artifacts are thus quite distinctive in appearance (Olszewski and al-Nahar 2006; Olszewski and Schurmans 2007). WHS 1021 is thus included here as Early Natufian in age. Due to the abundance of quite small flakes, the assemblages from Tabaqa and Yutil al-Hasa D appear to be dominated by flakes (Table 1). The contrast with WHS 1021 in this aspect of the debitage reflects the fact that such small items generally are not recovered by surface collections. There is some evidence in the debitage for core striking platform preparation (core tablets, platform blade/bladelets, and core rejuvenation flakes). While blades are similar in frequency at Tabaqa and Yutil al-Hasa Area D, the same is not true for bladelets, which are much less frequent at Tabaqa. Microburins also are present at both excavated sites (IMbtr = 58.4 for Tabaqa and IMbtr = 40.9 for Yutil al-Hasa Area D). The core assemblages from Tabaqa and Yutil al-Hasa Area D (none were recovered at WHS 1021) show a pattern similar to that found in the debitage (Table 2). That is, there are similar frequencies of flake cores at both sites, but bladelet cores are much less abundant at Tabaqa. When present, most bladelet cores are single platform, or occasionally opposed or ninety-degree platforms. It is interesting to note that the frequency of blade cores is extremely small (either 1.6% or none), although blade debitage is present in modest abundance (see Table 1). This may reflect relatively intensive reduction of cores so that their final form is as bladelet cores, or alternatively, that larger elements such as blades were transported into these sites (see raw material discussion below). Except for WHS 1021, the tool assemblages are dominated by microliths (Table 3). In the case of both Tabaqa and Yutil al-Hasa Area D, there is no clear abundance of geometic microliths, and, in fact, at Yutil al-Hasa Area D, nongeometrics are actually 416 The Steppic Early Natufian: Investigations in the Wadi al-Hasa, Jordan Fig. 4. Examples of Early Natufian artifacts from the Wadi al-Hasa sites: a–b: direct lunates; c–d: microburins; e: Helwan bladelet; f–i: Helwan lunates; j–k: endscrapers; l: ninety-degree platform core; m: single platform core (a–b, d–e, h–i, l–m from Yutil al-Hasa Area D; c, f–g, j–k from Tabaqa) (drawings by Bradley M. Evans). more frequent than geometrics. This reflects in part the Helwan bladelets in the nongeometric class, but also the significant number of inversely retouched bladelets (particularly at Tabaqa). Examination of these inversely retouched bladelets shows that their retouch is most often the same type of retouch that characterizes Helwan bladelets, but in the case of the inversely retouched bladelets, this retouch is not bifacial. It would thus seem that these particular pieces may be related to the production of Helwan pieces, and thus can serve as an indicator of Early Natufian affiliation. As expected for Natufian assemblages, the geometric microliths are dominated by lunates. The Early Natufian nature of these is most clearly seen at Tabaqa, where almost all lunates are Helwan. At 417 Deborah I. Olszewski Table 1. Early Natufian Debitage from the Wadi al-Hasa Sites WHS 1021* Flake cortical some cortex noncortical core rejuvenation core tablet small (10–20 mm) trimming (<10 mm) Blade blade platform blade Bladelet bladelet platform bladelet core tablet Burin Spall Microburin regular Krukowski piquant trièdre Shatter GRAND TOTAL Tabaqa** N % N % (13) 3 9 1 (8) 6 2 (6) 6 (-) (1) (28) (46.4) 10.7 32.1 3.6 (28.6) 21.4 7.2 (21.4) 21.4 (3.6) (4,245) 16 286 558 29 13 2081 1262 (300) 289 11 (619) 609 10 (1) (209) 191 17 1 (1,522) (6,913) (61.4) 0.2 4.1 8.1 0.4 0.2 30.1 18.3 (4.3) 4.2 0.1 (8.9) 8.8 0.1 (0.3) (3.0) 2.8 0.2 <0.1 (22.0) Yutil al-Hasa Area D *** N % (1,992) 12 170 364 16 8 940 482 (180) 178 2 (565) 556 7 2 (16) (104) 95 9 (423) (3,280) (60.7) 1.4 5.3 11.2 0.5 0.2 28.3 14.6 (5.6) 5.5 0.1 (17.1) 16.8 0.2 0.1 (0.5) (3.2) 2.8 0.3 (12.9) *1981 surface collection analyzed by the author in 2010. **1997 excavations (Olszewski et al. 1998b). ***1993 and 1998 excavations (Coinman et al. 1999; Olszewski et al. 1994); all Area D combined here. Yutil al-Hasa Area D, lunates are about evenly split between Helwan and direct lunates (see Table 3), but this is an effect of combining all Area D assemblages (see below). Detailed examination of the production of the Helwan bladelets, particularly those from Tabaqa, indicates that these were manufactured from the midsection of bladelets snapped on both the distal and proximal ends using microburin technique. This observation is supported by three lines of evidence: 1) there are examples of microburin notches that are on the interior surface, a feature also noted by Byrd and Colledge (1991:267) who reported 14% of the 1988 season microburins with this characteristic; the 1997 season assemblage has 24% of microburins with an interior notch; 2) the frequency of distal (55%) and proximal (45%) microburins is relatively equivalent, which would be expected if bladelets were subjected to two instances of segmentation; and, 3) remnant microburin scars at the distal and proximal ends of some Helwan lunates also suggest both the use of interior notch microburins and that these geometrics are made from the middle portion of a bladelet snapped twice by microburin technique. Tools other than microliths include moderate frequencies of nondiagnostic classes such as retouched pieces and notch/denticulates. Other less well-represented tools include endscrapers, burins, borers, backed pieces, truncations, multiple tools, and sidescrapers. The microlithic component at Yutil al-Hasa Area D contains some evidence suggesting both Early Natufian and perhaps Early to Late Natufian transitional occupations. As can be seen in Table 4, the frequency of nongeometrics to geometrics is similar for both the lower and upper deposits in Area D. However, in the geometric component, there is a clear emphasis on Helwan lunates in the lower 418 The Steppic Early Natufian: Investigations in the Wadi al-Hasa, Jordan Table 2. Early Natufian Cores from the Wadi al-Hasa Sites WHS 1021* Tabaqa** Yutil al-Hasa Area D*** N % N % N % (-) (-) (13) (21.0) (9) (20.5) single subpyramidal Double platform - - 5 2 8.1 3.2 2 - 4.5 - opposed ninety-degree Multiple platform - - 1 2 1.6 3.2 1 2 2.3 4.5 multiple Blade Cores Single platform (-) (-) 3 (1) 4.9 (1.6) 4 (-) 9.2 (-) single Bladelet Cores Single platform (-) (-) 1 (17) 1.6 (27.4) (19) (43.2) - - 11 - 17.7 - 11 1 1 25.0 2.3 2.3 (-) (-) 5 1 (9) 8.1 1.6 (14.5) 3 3 (3) 6.8 6.8 (6.8) single Double platform - - 1 1.6 - - opposed ninety-degree Multiple platform - - 4 2 6.5 3.2 1 2.3 (-) (-) (-) 2 (22) (62) 3.2 (35.5) 2 (13) (44) 4.5 (29.5) Flake Cores Single platform single subpyramidal pyramidal Double platform opposed ninety-degree Mixed Cores Single platform multiple Core Fragments GRAND TOTAL *1981 surface collection analyzed by the author in 2010. **1997 excavations (Olszewski et al. 1998b). ***1993 and 1998 excavations (Coinman et al. 1999; Olszewski et al. 1994); all Area D combined here. deposits and a greater representation of direct lunates in the upper deposits. This combination of the two types of Natufian lunates has sometimes been seen as a characteristic of the transition between the early to late phases (Sellars cited in Henry 1995:324; Valla 1988:912). The Early Natufian radiocarbon date is from the lower deposits in Area D (see below). Stone raw material, as noted above, is relatively distinctive for the Natufian occupations. These assemblages are primarily made on either a translucent chert (Yutil al-Hasa Area D and Tabaqa) or a glossy grey chert with white patination along the edges and or as spots on the artifacts (Tabaqa) (Olszewski and Schurmans 2007:187– 188). Survey for stone raw material sources in 419 Deborah I. Olszewski Table 3. Early Natufian Tools from the Wadi al-Hasa Sites WHS 1021* Endscraper on blade on retouched blade on flake other Burin dihedral on truncation on break on natural edge transverse other Borer Backed Piece backed fragment Truncation truncated blade truncated flake other Notch/Denticulate notch denticulate Retouched Piece retouched blade retouched flake inverse other Multiple Tool Nongeometric Microlith backed and truncated curved La Mouillah inverse Helwan bladelet pointed/spike truncated partially retouched other fragment Tabaqa** N % N % (-) (-) (-) (-) (1) 1 (3) 3 (2) 1 1 (-) (1) 1 - (-) (-) (-) (-) (14.3) 14.3 (42.8) 42.8 (28.6) 14.3 14.3 (-) (14.3) 14.3 - (19) 4 12 2 1 (7) 3 4 (1) (4) 3 1 (8) 4 4 (33) 18 15 (35) 11 12 5 7 (1) (77) 38 9 10 6 5 9 (6.9) 1.5 4.4 0.7 0.3 (2.6) 1.1 1.5 (0.3) (1.4) 1.1 0.3 (3.0) 1.5 1.5 (12.3) 6.7 5.6 (13.0) 4.1 4.4 1.9 2.6 (0.4) (28.5) 14.1 3.3 3.7 2.2 1.9 3.3 420 Yutil al-Hasa Area D*** N % (4) 2 2 (17) 1 5 3 3 3 2 (4) (1) 1 (7) 5 1 1 (53) 31 22 (45) 15 19 6 5 (1) (105) 8 10 3 14 10 3 13 14 11 19 (1.2) 0.6 0.6 (5.6) 0.3 1.7 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.6 (1.2) (0.3) 0.3 (2.3) 1.7 0.3 0.3 (17.6) 10.3 7.3 (15.0) 5.1 6.3 2.0 1.6 (0.3) (34.8) 2.6 3.3 1.0 4.7 3.3 1.0 4.3 4.7 3.6 6.3 The Steppic Early Natufian: Investigations in the Wadi al-Hasa, Jordan Table 3 (continued) WHS 1021* Geometric Microlith lunate Helwan lunate unfinished lunate isosceles triangle bitruncated other Special Tool single sidescraper other TOTALS Tabaqa** N % N % (-) (-) (7) (-) (-) - (81) 2 70 2 7 (4) 4 (270) (30.0) 0.7 26.0 0.7 2.6 (1.5) 1.5 - Yutil al-Hasa Area D*** N % (64) 26 30 6 2 (1) 1 (302) (21.3) 8.7 10.0 2.0 0.6 (0.3) 0.3 *1981 surface collection analyzed by the author in 2010. **1997 excavations (Olszewski et al. 1998b). ***1993 and 1998 excavations (Coinman et al. 1999; Olszewski et al. 1994); all Area D combined here; high frequency of lunates without Helwan retouch is from the upper deposits in Area D (see Table 4). Table 4. Natufian Microliths at Yutil al-Hasa Area D D-upper Nongeometric Microlith backed and truncated curved La Mouillah point inverse Helwan bladelet pointed/spike truncated partially retouched other fragment Geometric Microlith Helwan lunate lunate isosceles triangle bitruncated TOTALS the Wadi al-Hasa region in 2000 and in 2004 did not yield these two raw material types (Olszewski et al. 2001; 2004), leading to an interpretation of probable long-distance transport, possibly >80 km (Olszewski and al-Nahar 2006:27; Olszewski and D-lower N % N % (47) 2 4 1 6 3 2 9 4 9 7 (29) 10 17 2 (76) (61.8) 2.6 5.3 1.3 7.9 4.0 2.6 11.8 5.3 11.8 9.2 (38.2) 13.2 22.4 2.6 - (58) 6 6 2 8 7 1 4 10 2 12 (35) 20 9 4 2 (93) (62.3) 6.5 6.5 2.1 8.6 7.5 1.1 4.3 10.7 2.1 12.9 (37.6) 21.5 9.7 4.3 2.1 Schurmans 2007:193), which would have included nodules and perhaps larger elements like blades (see above). This pattern of raw material selection and transport would not be unusual in the overall context of the Natufian, as it has been noted 421 Deborah I. Olszewski for the Negev and Sinai areas during this time period (Goring-Morris 1987:284), as well as the Azraq (Garrard 1991:237), the Black Desert (Betts 1998:15, 27, 29), and southern Jordan (Henry et al. 1985:48). However, recent excavations on the Kerak Plateau at the Early Epipaleolithic (Nebekian) site of KPS-75 (al-Nahar et al. 2009), which is about 15 km north-northeast of Tabaqa, also have yielded examples of the translucent (chalcedonous) raw material. Personal observations of artifacts from KPS-75 that are made on this raw material show that some pieces contain phosphatic inclusions or have cortex from bedded chert sources. These two characteristics suggest that there are sources of translucent chert in the vicinity of KPS-75, which is situated in the al-Hisa Phosphorite Formation that yields nodular phosphatic cherts; this site also is in relatively close proximity to the bedded cherts of the Amman Silicified Limestone Formation (cf. al Hisa (al ‘Ina) Geological Map 1996). Thus, it now seems likely that while the Early Natufian hunter-gatherers in the Wadi al-Hasa targeted particular raw materials, the distance they transported these might be only on the order of ca. 15 km–20 km. Nonetheless, this transport distance appears to be considerably greater during the Natufian than for earlier periods in the Wadi al-Hasa when most stone raw material chosen was within a kilometer or less of each site. Fauna Generally speaking, faunal preservation was quite poor at both Tabaqa and Yutil al-Hasa Area D. Byrd and Colledge (1991:272) report fragmentary bone at Tabaqa that includes Gazella sp. and a carnivore, while the 1997 excavations here yielded only a small handful of unidentifiable bone fragments. The situation at Yutil al-Hasa Area D is slightly better, primarily because some of fauna was burnt and thus preserved, although still in quite fragmentary condition (Olszewski et al. 1994:134–135). Identifiable fauna includes Gazella sp. and Bos primigenius. wski 2010:89), as well as the numerous bedrock mortars and cupmarks in the bedrock ridge above Yutil al-Hasa, some of which possibly date to the Early Natufian occupation in Area D (see Fig. 3; Olszewski 2010:89). A few marine shells were found at Tabaqa and Yutil al-Hasa (Byrd and Colledge 1991:272; Olszewski et al. 1994:135). These include Dentalium, cowrie, a gastropod, and a few other, as yet unidentified, specimens. Although Byrd and Colledge also report three stone bead fragments from the surface collection, the stone raw material appears more likely to be from a later period occupation (there are a few rock tombs, which have been looted, present at the site). Finally, small pieces of fire-cracked rock were recorded from the 1997 excavations at Tabaqa (Olszewski et al. 1998a:63). These were dispersed throughout the 30 – 40 cm occupation horizon, perhaps indicating the action of slow-moving water in the dispersal of former hearth features. Other Materials Charcoal samples were collected from the Tabaqa section cut by Byrd and Colledge, although not submitted for dating. One charcoal sample from Yutil al-Hasa Area D (lower deposits) yielded a date of 14,369 ± 290 cal BP (Beta-129815), which is representative of the Early Natufian phase. Tabaqa yielded a small amount of macrobotanical remains, identified as grass grain fragments (Byrd and Colledge 1991:271–273). A preliminary phytolith analysis of Tabaqa samples from the 1997 excavations indicated the presence of reeds (Phragmites sp.), a not unexpected result given the paludal deposits in which the site is contained. Phragmites phytoliths were also present at Yutil al-Hasa Area D, as also were phytoliths of leaves of woody plants, grass seed husks, and Pooid (C3) grasses. Pollen samples were collected from Tabaqa during the 1997 excavation and from Yutil al-Hasa Area D during the 1993 and 1998 excavations. The results of these analyses are not yet available. Additional Cultural Materials A small range of other cultural materials also was recovered from Tabaqa and Yutil al-Hasa Area D. These include fragments of ground stone, consisting of six pieces from surface collections and three pieces from the 1997 excavations at Tabaqa that include a stone bowl, quern, mortar, pestle, and handstones ((Byrd and Colledge 1991:272; Olsze- The Wadi al-Hasa Sites in the Context of the Eastern Levantine Steppic Early Natufian One issue with discussing the steppic Early Natufian in the eastern Levant regards how various authors have characterized the primary floristic province for these sites. For example, Bar-Yosef 422 The Steppic Early Natufian: Investigations in the Wadi al-Hasa, Jordan (1998) extended a Mediterranean forest floristic province east of the Jordan Rift Valley to encompass the area from north of the Dead Sea to the Ras en-Naqb area in the south. To Bar-Yosef (and others), all Early Natufian sites here are part of a Natufian “homeland” or core area. However, it is clear from palynological data and more recent analyses (e.g. Cordova 2007), that most of this region is Irano-Turanian steppe (except for the area north of the Dead Sea where, for example, Wadi Hammeh 27 is situated). In fact, Early Natufian sites such as Wadi Mataha, Beidha, and Wadi Judayid 2 are treated by Munro (2004:177), as well as Olszewski (2004:190–191), as representing the Irano-Turanian floristic province, rather than the Mediterranean forest—although arguably, Wadi Mataha and Beidha are in an area that had somewhat more abundant arboreal representation than the Wadi al-Hasa, perhaps being an open parkland context. Unless noted otherwise, the eastern Levantine Early Natufian is considered to be within the Irano-Turanian steppe. The three Wadi al-Hasa Early Natufian sites all appear to represent short-term camps. Two of them (WHS 1021 and Yutil al-Hasa Area D) are aerially quite limited, and likely reflect short, but repeated stays indicative of a relatively mobile adaptation. Tabaqa is larger (test units placed 40 m apart revealed the same 30–40 cm occupation horizon), although cultural materials appear to have been somewhat dispersed due to slow-moving water, thus making determination of the actual boundaries of the site difficult. Nonetheless, Tabaqa has the potential to represent a somewhat longer-term camp, but does not appear to represent a village site such as those known from Early Natufian Mediterranean forest contexts in the Western Highlands, e.g. Wadi Hammeh 27 (Edwards 1991). Byrd and Colledge (1991:271–273) suggested that Tabaqa might be a seasonal site, and Olszewski (2010) has further suggested that this site might be situated to facilitate exploitation of wild grasses (thus, spring/ summer in occupation). Despite differences in site size, the chipped stone tool components at Tabaqa and Yutil al-Hasa Area D are similar in frequencies (with the main difference being in the frequencies of endscrapers and burins), also suggesting a probable similar range of site activities, as might be expected in a relatively mobile adaptation (cf. Binford 1980). Although faunal remains are not well preserved, the Early Natufian sites in the Wadi al-Hasa show exploitation of aurochs and gazelle. Tabaqa and Yutil al-Hasa Area D also yielded a small number of marine shells, including Dentalium. Further to the south, in the Petra region, are the Early Natufian sites of Beidha (Byrd 1989, 1991) and Wadi Mataha (Janetski and Chazan 2004). At Beidha, the Early Natufian was discovered some 1.5 m to 2.2 m below the Neolithic occupation and individual exposures are limited, although the total area exposed in the six units (some excavated between 1958 and 1967 by D. Kirkbride, and one excavated in 1983 by B. Byrd) is about 54 m2 (Byrd 1989:19–24, 1991:247–249). The overall limits of the site are ca. 2,400 m2. The main features revealed were several hearths and two dense clusters of firecracked rock, interpreted as large roasting areas. Marine shell (almost exclusively Dentalium, but also including Pecten, Strombus, Vermetus, Columbella, Cypraea, and Nerita undulata) was recovered (Reese 1989:103). Fauna from the 1958 and 1959 excavations includes Capra ibex nubiana, Capra hircus aegarus, Gazella spp., Bos primigenius, and Equus sp. (Hecker 1989). A comparison of gazelle and caprines at the site indicates that caprines are more abundant (Munro 2004:180), likely reflecting the hilly topography of the region. Byrd characterizes Beidha as a short-term camp, which was frequently revisited (Byrd 1989:81; 1991:259–260). On the other hand, Wadi Mataha (lower and midslope excavations) yielded evidence for at least one structure, plus another wall, during the Early Natufian occupation here (Janetski and Chazan 2004:163). Marine shell is represented by Dentalia, Nerita, and Nassarius, and there are also a few stone beads, and a decorated shaft straightener fragment also was found. The faunal assemblage contains wild goat (Capra aegagrus), Nubian ibex (Capra ibex), mountain gazelle (Gazella gazelle), aurochs (Bos primigenius), equids (Equus hemionus and Equus africanus), and perhaps wild sheep (Ovis orientalis). There is also a small proportion of hares, birds, and land tortoise (Janetski and Chazan 2004:165–167). As is the situation at Beidha, a comparison of caprines and gazelle shows that Wadi Mataha has a much greater abundance of caprines (Munro 2004:180). The investment in structural features at Wadi Mataha suggests that this site might be a somewhat longer-term base camp compared to Beidha, WHS 1021, and Yutil al-Hasa Area D. In the Ras en-Naqb region of southern Jordan, the piedmont zone between the Ma’an Plateau and the lowlands that contain isolated sandstone outcrops yielded one Early Natufian site, Wadi Judayid J2 (Henry 1995:319). This site has cultural materials described as habitation debris from an area of ca. 400 m2 (Henry 1995:320–321). In addition 423 Deborah I. Olszewski to Early Natufian lithics including Helwan lunates and a radiocarbon date placing this occupation into the Early Natufian period, Wadi Judayid J2 also yielded marine shell (Dentalium and Nerita), as well as handstones and mortars (Henry 1995:327; Reese 1995:387). The faunal assemblage contains Capra, Ovis, Gazella, Equus, Bos primigenius, Lepus capensis (hare), and Pantherea pardus (leopard), as well as bony fish and small bird bones (Henry 1995:327; Henry et al. 1985:53). The pattern of caprine abundance compared to gazelle continues (Munro 2004:178). Although it lacks structures and burials (perhaps due to limited excavation), Wadi Judayid J2 is described as a moderate sized, longer-term base camp thought to be occupied over most or perhaps all of the year (Henry 1995:329–330). This interpretation is based partly on comparison to Beidha, but as noted above, Beidha is interpreted as a short-term camp. Finally, there are also Early Natufian steppic sites known from the Azraq region in the eastern desert, in particular, Ain al-Saratan (Garrard 1991) and Bawwab al-Ghazal (Rollefson et al. 1999). These are associated with springs and playas in this otherwise relatively arid setting. The Early Natufian at Bawwab al-Ghazal is interpreted as a shortterm and small base camp with several hearths. It likely was repeatedly revisited (Rollefson et al. 1999:3). Ain al-Saratan, on the other hand, which covers a surface area of approximately 1,400 m2, is a probable longer-term camp because it yielded burials, bone artifacts (including one possible sickle haft), marine shell (Dentalium), and ground stone (Garrard 1991:238). The faunal assemblage includes aurochs (Bos primigenius), equids (Equus hemionus or E. asinus and E. hydruntinus), gazelle, and limited amounts of birds (the garganey, Anas querquedula, and the pintail, Anas acuta) and hare (Garrard et al. 1988:46). However, Ain al-Saratan did not yield structural evidence, suggesting that investment in this locale was somewhat less than, for example, at Wadi Mataha. Conclusions All data currently available for Early Natufian occupation of the steppic regions of the eastern Levant suggest that adaptations here were relatively mobile compared to the better known western Levantine sites, particularly those from the Mediterranean forest floristic province where evidence exists for multiple structures at some sites and numerous burials (e.g. Bar-Yosef and Tchernov 1966; Belfer-Cohen 1988; Byrd and Mo- nahan 1995; Garrod and Bate 1937; Henry et al. 1981; Noy et al. 1973; Valla 1984, 1991; Valla et al. 1991; Weinstein-Evron 1998; Weinstein-Evron et al. herein). That locale was important in this regard can be clearly seen in the contrast provided by Wadi Hammeh 27, which while situated in the eastern Levant, was in a Mediterranean forest setting and appears to be a small village (Edwards 1991, Edwards et al. herein). However, it has been noted that the stereotype of the Early Natufian in the Mediterranean forest as a “sedentary” adaptation may be somewhat overly monolithic, as the villages of this period might represent only occasional instances of greater investment/social aggregation in an otherwise relatively mobile adaptation (e.g. Belfer-Cohen and Goring-Morris herein; Goring-Morris and Belfer-Cohen 2003; Stutz 2004). In this regard then, the steppic Early Natufian of the eastern Levant differs mainly in its lack of occasional multi-structure sites (and numerous burials), which suggests either that population dynamics in the steppe differed from those of the Mediterranean forest or perhaps that population density in the steppe was simply quite low, so that the social mechanisms leading to the occasional establishment of small “villages” did not pertain. It is also possible that steppic ecological settings could not sustain small “villages,” although this would be somewhat surprising given that steppic Early Natufian sites are known from well-watered locales (Azraq, Petra region, Wadi al-Hasa) that presumably would be favored occupation areas. This may indicate that it is the combined plant food resources (particularly acorns and cereal grasses) of the Mediterranean forest that form a critical aspect of the potential for sedentism in that context (Olszewski 2004, 2010). The patterns of the steppic Early Natufian appear to continue in the steppic Late Natufian. Many sites continue to be situated in well-watered locales and tend to be aerially small. However, one interesting feature is the presence of single (or possibly multiple) structures at a number of the Late Natufian sites, for example, TBAS 102 in the Wadi Juheira, south of the Wadi al-Hasa (Neeley 2009, herein), Khallat ‘Anaza in the Black Desert of eastern Jordan (Betts 1998:11–25), and Shubayqa in the Azraq (Richter and Maher herein). That sites with structures might be more frequent during a period (the Younger Dryas) when climatic conditions are cooler and drier than during the Early Natufian is intriguing. Future research on the steppic Late Natufian hopefully will elucidate why behavioral strategies of essentially mobile 424 The Steppic Early Natufian: Investigations in the Wadi al-Hasa, Jordan populations changed in this manner, although hints of this already are present. For example, Janetski and Chazan (2004:167) note that the Late Natufian at Wadi Mataha differs from the Early Natufian here in having greater emphasis on exploitation of small game (birds, hare, land tortoise), as well as a denser midden (possibly suggesting longer-term occupation) and features such as a roasting area and grinding facilities that might indicate increased plant food exploitation compared to the Early Natufian. Acknowledgements Research in the Wadi al-Hasa was made possible through grants from the National Science Foundation (SBR-9618766), the Wenner-Gren Foundation (#6278), the National Geographic Society (#6695-00), the Joukowsky Family Foundation, and the United States Information Agency/American Centers for Oriental Research. The Eastern Hasa Late Pleistocene Project (EHLPP) was co-directed by the author and Nancy R. Coinman (Iowa State University). References Cited Bar-Yosef, O. 1998 The Natufian Culture in the Levant, Threshold to the Origins of Agriculture. 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