Millennial Landscape Change in Jordan: Geoarchaeology and Cultural Ecology
by Carlos E. Cordova
University of Arizona Press, 2007 eISBN: 978-0-8165-5103-3 | Cloth: 978-0-8165-2554-6 Library of Congress Classification G76.5.J6C67 2007 Dewey Decimal Classification 304.2095695
ABOUT THIS BOOK | TOC
ABOUT THIS BOOK
Stands of relict vegetation, soil horizons, and sedimentary deposits along with archaeological evidence suggest that during certain time spans within the past twenty millennia, Jordan was endowed with moister and more vegetated landscapes than the ones we see today. In this detailed volume, Carlos E. Cordova synthesizes diverse information on multiple topics to provide a comprehensive view of the changes in the Jordanian landscape and the many ways it has been affected by human habitation and the forces of nature.
Cordova focuses on geoarchaeological and cultural ecological aspects of research, presenting data from physical, chemical, and biological sources. He examines the changing influence of climate, vegetation, and hunting opportunities on cultural exploitation tactics, as well as the effects of the growing population and agriculture on the environment. Cordova argues that an interdisciplinary approach to studying the area is crucial to achieving a true understanding of Jordan’s changing landscape.
Chapter topics include approaches to the study of ancient Jordanian landscapes in the Near Eastern context; the physical scene; endowed landscapes of the woodlands; the encroaching drylands; the current and future state of the paleoecological and geoarchaeological record; patterns of millennial landscape change; and the process of interpreting millennial landscape change. The text is abundantly illustrated with photos, line illustrations, tables, and maps, providing a valuable assessment of archaeological developments over the prehistory and history of what today is the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. This volume will be especially welcomed by scholars interested in the archaeology, history, and geography of Jordan, the Levant, and the Near East and by field-school students working on archaeological projects in Jordan.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
{FMT}Contents{\}
List of Figures
List of Tables
Preface
1 Approaches to the Study of Ancient Jordanian Landscapes in the
Near Eastern Context
2 The Physical Scene
3 Endowed Landscape: Woodland
4 Encroaching Drylands: Steppe and Desert
5 Paleoecological and Geoarchaeological Records: Current Status and
Prospects
6 Patterns of Millennial Landscape Change
7 Interpreting Millennial Landscape Change
Appendix: Latin, English, and Arabic Names of Plants
Glossary
References
Index
{FMT}Figures{\}
P.1 Distribution of floristic regions in Jordan
P.2 Chronological cultural sequence for Jordan
1.1 Jordan in context of main landscape regions and the Fertile
Crescent
2.1 Jordan in context of regional tectonics of the Near East
2.2 Distributions of lithological groups and transects
2.3 Quaternary rocks and deposits
2.4 Alluvial fans, inselbergs, basins, and sand dune fields in
Wadi Araba and Wadi Rum area
2.5 Physiographic provinces and their subdivisions
2.6 Major drainage basins
2.7 Jordan in context of atmospheric circulation patterns of
the eastern Mediterranean and Near East
2.8 Wind direction and average speed from selected locations
2.9 Köppen climate types and location of meteorological
stations
2.10 Bioclimatic regions
2.11 Vegetation types
2.12 Nature reserves and reintroduced fauna
3.1 The Transjordanian Mediterranean Belt, precipitation, and
distribution of woodlands and red soils
3.2 Mediterranean vegetation territories and mean annual
precipitation in the Levant
3.3 Distribution of pine, oak, pistachio, and juniper in the
Levant
3.4 Maquis vegetation around Ajlun Castle
3.5 Garrigue vegetation near Salt
3.6 East--west transects across the northern and southern
highlands
3.7 Scattered relict stands of Atlantic pistachio near Ataruz
3.8 Relict stands of pistachio outside the main wooded areas
3.9 Wadi Haufa, with vegetation and tree-canopy coverage
3.10 Steppization in relation to aridity and human disturbance
3.11 Relict pistachio woodland communities in the Northern Moab
Plateau
3.12 Wheat, barley, and olive cultivation, and agricultural
terracing
4.1 Badia region, with the Azraq area shown
4.2 Artemisia herba-alba within the Irano-Turanian steppe near
Wadi ar-Rumeil
4.3 Vegetation transects in Wadi Rum and Wadi ath-Thamad
4.4 Acacias on an alluvial fan in Wadi Araba area
4.5 Hypothetical pathways of northward migration of Sudanian
vegetation during the Pleistocene and Early Holocene
4.6 Traditional transhumance paths in Jordan and adjacent
countries
4.7 Nabataean Empire in the drylands of the Near East
5.1 Estimated sea-surface temperatures in the North Atlantic
and lake-level changes in relation to the cultural
chronology of the southern Levant for the Late Quaternary
5.2 Pollen diagram summaries from lakes in the Jordan--Dead Sea
Rift Valley
5.3 Location of Late Quaternary palynological studies in Jordan
5.4 Pollen from Middle and Late Holocene alluvial deposits in
Wadi al-Wala and Wadi Shallalah
5.5 Terminal Pleistocene alluvial terraces associated with
Epipaleolithic occupations in western Jordan
5.6 Geomorphic position and chronology of terraces and alluvial
fills in Wadi ath-Thamad and Wadi al-Wala
5.7 Alluvial fills associated with Chalcolithic--Early Bronze
occupations
5.8 Sequence of alluvial accumulation and stream incision in
Wadi al-Wala
5.9 Quaternary lacustrine deposits, landforms, and localities
6.1 Archaeological periods, paleoclimate episodes, and
hypothetical fluctuations, 20,000--4,000 BP
6.2 Epipaleolithic sites and possible expansion of woodlands
and steppe ca 12,500 BP
6.3 Neolithic sites and possible expansion of vegetation
regions ca. 8,500 BP
6.4 Geomorphological and palynological data with paleorainfall
and Dead Sea--level fluctuations during the Holocene
6.5 Chalcolithic and Early Bronze sites and regions
6.6 Environmental and socioeconomic changes during the Middle
Holocene in the Khirbet Iskander area
{FMT}Tables{\}
P.1 Pronunciation guide for Arabic words
2.1 Mean monthly temperature and precipitation for selected locations in
Jordan
2.2 Average number of days with precipitation, highest recorded
temperature, and lowest recorded temperature for selected locations
2.3 Bioclimatic regions of Jordan
2.4 Weighted mean values for analytical data of representative soils
with xeric moisture regimes
2.5 Weighted mean values for analytical data of representative soils
with arid moisture regimes
2.6 Soil horizon designations and equivalents in other soil
classifications used in Jordan
2.7 Soil types referred to in text and equivalents in other soil
classification systems
5.1 Published Quaternary pollen studies in Jordan and the Rift Valley
5.2 Mid-Holocene alluvial fill reported in selected wadis of the
southern Levant
6.1 Cultural phases of the Jordanian Neolithic
6.2 Early Bronze Age subdivisions and socioeconomic
characteristics
Millennial Landscape Change in Jordan: Geoarchaeology and Cultural Ecology
by Carlos E. Cordova
University of Arizona Press, 2007 eISBN: 978-0-8165-5103-3 Cloth: 978-0-8165-2554-6
Stands of relict vegetation, soil horizons, and sedimentary deposits along with archaeological evidence suggest that during certain time spans within the past twenty millennia, Jordan was endowed with moister and more vegetated landscapes than the ones we see today. In this detailed volume, Carlos E. Cordova synthesizes diverse information on multiple topics to provide a comprehensive view of the changes in the Jordanian landscape and the many ways it has been affected by human habitation and the forces of nature.
Cordova focuses on geoarchaeological and cultural ecological aspects of research, presenting data from physical, chemical, and biological sources. He examines the changing influence of climate, vegetation, and hunting opportunities on cultural exploitation tactics, as well as the effects of the growing population and agriculture on the environment. Cordova argues that an interdisciplinary approach to studying the area is crucial to achieving a true understanding of Jordan’s changing landscape.
Chapter topics include approaches to the study of ancient Jordanian landscapes in the Near Eastern context; the physical scene; endowed landscapes of the woodlands; the encroaching drylands; the current and future state of the paleoecological and geoarchaeological record; patterns of millennial landscape change; and the process of interpreting millennial landscape change. The text is abundantly illustrated with photos, line illustrations, tables, and maps, providing a valuable assessment of archaeological developments over the prehistory and history of what today is the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. This volume will be especially welcomed by scholars interested in the archaeology, history, and geography of Jordan, the Levant, and the Near East and by field-school students working on archaeological projects in Jordan.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
{FMT}Contents{\}
List of Figures
List of Tables
Preface
1 Approaches to the Study of Ancient Jordanian Landscapes in the
Near Eastern Context
2 The Physical Scene
3 Endowed Landscape: Woodland
4 Encroaching Drylands: Steppe and Desert
5 Paleoecological and Geoarchaeological Records: Current Status and
Prospects
6 Patterns of Millennial Landscape Change
7 Interpreting Millennial Landscape Change
Appendix: Latin, English, and Arabic Names of Plants
Glossary
References
Index
{FMT}Figures{\}
P.1 Distribution of floristic regions in Jordan
P.2 Chronological cultural sequence for Jordan
1.1 Jordan in context of main landscape regions and the Fertile
Crescent
2.1 Jordan in context of regional tectonics of the Near East
2.2 Distributions of lithological groups and transects
2.3 Quaternary rocks and deposits
2.4 Alluvial fans, inselbergs, basins, and sand dune fields in
Wadi Araba and Wadi Rum area
2.5 Physiographic provinces and their subdivisions
2.6 Major drainage basins
2.7 Jordan in context of atmospheric circulation patterns of
the eastern Mediterranean and Near East
2.8 Wind direction and average speed from selected locations
2.9 Köppen climate types and location of meteorological
stations
2.10 Bioclimatic regions
2.11 Vegetation types
2.12 Nature reserves and reintroduced fauna
3.1 The Transjordanian Mediterranean Belt, precipitation, and
distribution of woodlands and red soils
3.2 Mediterranean vegetation territories and mean annual
precipitation in the Levant
3.3 Distribution of pine, oak, pistachio, and juniper in the
Levant
3.4 Maquis vegetation around Ajlun Castle
3.5 Garrigue vegetation near Salt
3.6 East--west transects across the northern and southern
highlands
3.7 Scattered relict stands of Atlantic pistachio near Ataruz
3.8 Relict stands of pistachio outside the main wooded areas
3.9 Wadi Haufa, with vegetation and tree-canopy coverage
3.10 Steppization in relation to aridity and human disturbance
3.11 Relict pistachio woodland communities in the Northern Moab
Plateau
3.12 Wheat, barley, and olive cultivation, and agricultural
terracing
4.1 Badia region, with the Azraq area shown
4.2 Artemisia herba-alba within the Irano-Turanian steppe near
Wadi ar-Rumeil
4.3 Vegetation transects in Wadi Rum and Wadi ath-Thamad
4.4 Acacias on an alluvial fan in Wadi Araba area
4.5 Hypothetical pathways of northward migration of Sudanian
vegetation during the Pleistocene and Early Holocene
4.6 Traditional transhumance paths in Jordan and adjacent
countries
4.7 Nabataean Empire in the drylands of the Near East
5.1 Estimated sea-surface temperatures in the North Atlantic
and lake-level changes in relation to the cultural
chronology of the southern Levant for the Late Quaternary
5.2 Pollen diagram summaries from lakes in the Jordan--Dead Sea
Rift Valley
5.3 Location of Late Quaternary palynological studies in Jordan
5.4 Pollen from Middle and Late Holocene alluvial deposits in
Wadi al-Wala and Wadi Shallalah
5.5 Terminal Pleistocene alluvial terraces associated with
Epipaleolithic occupations in western Jordan
5.6 Geomorphic position and chronology of terraces and alluvial
fills in Wadi ath-Thamad and Wadi al-Wala
5.7 Alluvial fills associated with Chalcolithic--Early Bronze
occupations
5.8 Sequence of alluvial accumulation and stream incision in
Wadi al-Wala
5.9 Quaternary lacustrine deposits, landforms, and localities
6.1 Archaeological periods, paleoclimate episodes, and
hypothetical fluctuations, 20,000--4,000 BP
6.2 Epipaleolithic sites and possible expansion of woodlands
and steppe ca 12,500 BP
6.3 Neolithic sites and possible expansion of vegetation
regions ca. 8,500 BP
6.4 Geomorphological and palynological data with paleorainfall
and Dead Sea--level fluctuations during the Holocene
6.5 Chalcolithic and Early Bronze sites and regions
6.6 Environmental and socioeconomic changes during the Middle
Holocene in the Khirbet Iskander area
{FMT}Tables{\}
P.1 Pronunciation guide for Arabic words
2.1 Mean monthly temperature and precipitation for selected locations in
Jordan
2.2 Average number of days with precipitation, highest recorded
temperature, and lowest recorded temperature for selected locations
2.3 Bioclimatic regions of Jordan
2.4 Weighted mean values for analytical data of representative soils
with xeric moisture regimes
2.5 Weighted mean values for analytical data of representative soils
with arid moisture regimes
2.6 Soil horizon designations and equivalents in other soil
classifications used in Jordan
2.7 Soil types referred to in text and equivalents in other soil
classification systems
5.1 Published Quaternary pollen studies in Jordan and the Rift Valley
5.2 Mid-Holocene alluvial fill reported in selected wadis of the
southern Levant
6.1 Cultural phases of the Jordanian Neolithic
6.2 Early Bronze Age subdivisions and socioeconomic
characteristics