AMMAN — Early in 2022, archaeologists uncovered eight habitation areas in southeastern Jordan. These locations are closely linked to eight large-scale hunting installations known as desert kites. The dating evidence indicates that both the settlements and these hunting structures can be traced back to the late Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period.
The archaeological finds, primarily consisting of numerous stone tools, exhibit remarkable uniformity and consistency across all locations.
"Based on the distinctive features of the complete stone tool collection, a new regional technological complex named 'Ghassanian' has been identified for these desert fringes of the Fertile Crescent," stated French archaeologist René Cressard.
Cressard mentioned that a significant number of arrowheads were found across all occupational strata at sites JKSH F19, P52, and F15. These arrowheads were crafted from tiny, high-quality flint blades; some might have been brought in through trade, with others being fashioned out of quartzite.
The archaeologist mentioned that the debris from small, finely grained chert and quartzite blades appears to be predominantly used for this particular manufacturing process.
During the preform stage, blanks are modified using direct, inverse, or bifacial retouch with a soft stone hammer. They are later refined through pressure flaking, followed by final invasive retouch to complete the tool.
As seen from a typological perspective, these artifacts found at the Jibal Al Khashabiyeh sites share similarities with those recognized in the Southern Levant during the Final PPNB period, particularly regarding single-stemmed blades like the Jericho, Byblos, and Amuq varieties," Cressard noted. "They also resemble items from the Late Neolithic era characterized by unifacial or bifacial single-stemmed or barbed and stemmed tools, including examples like the ha-Parsa, Nizzanim, and Herziliya types.
Various kinds of arrowheads discovered at the Jibal Al Khashabiyeh sites might represent another significant feature of these collections and the identified technological complex.
A deeper analysis of the Jibal Al Khashabiyeh sites will provide essential insights into the regional chronology and typology, as well as facilitate comparisons with other parts of the Levant from the same era," Cressard observed, noting additionally that the flint utilized for making blades is locally sourced and appears as medium-sized slabs scattered across the present-day regolith.
At the JKSH P52 location specifically, numerous small, blade-like daggers were discovered clustered in the outer area of the settlement, closely associated with substantial amounts of flakes resulting from bipolar flaking techniques.
Cressard explained that these daggers went through various phases of production, with many appearing to be completed. He also mentioned that some may have fractured during manufacturing, possibly in a designated workroom designed for such tasks.
It would be useful to examine potential signs of usage on both the bifaces and the blades to determine if particular functions can be linked to each type of tool.
"As evidenced by their association with faunal remnants, the utilization of either or both seems quite plausible. Specifically, curved maces represent a distinct category of tools within the settlement of Jibal Al Khashabiyeh during this period. These items appear to have been used alongside kite structures, and currently, no similar examples are documented across the Near East," emphasized Cressard.
The archaeologist observed that this level of detail might indicate a specific use for these tools, particularly in handling items obtained from hunts.
The initial findings from the microscopic wear analysis of the chipped stone tools at site JKSH P52 offer promising avenues for further investigation into how we understand the inhabitation of this location and the societal as well as economic structure of the hunter groups linked to desert kites, according to the researcher.
So far, initial findings indicate that within the wide range of activities depicted, the numerous processes involved in handling animal products seem to be notably prominent.
"The ongoing research aims to achieve several objectives: 1) outline the complete range of functions and technical procedures performed using this gear; 2) deepen our comprehension of how animal remains were processed onsite, particularly concerning specialized gazelle hunting activities such as butchering and leatherworking; 3) ascertain if distinct areas for specific tasks can be distinguished both inside and across various sections," Cressard stated.
