Villages on the Periphery: Neolithic Adaptations at Ghwair I, Southern Jordan

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With National Science Foundation support Dr. Alan Simmons will conduct two seasons of archaeological research at the site Ghwair I which is located in the Wadi Feinan region in central Jordan. The site is dated to the pre Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) period from ca. 7,350 - 6,000 B.C. The site is small, covers an estimated 1.5 acres, and thus likely represents a village. It contains at least four architectural phases in over 3 meters depth of deposit and preservation is spectacular. Walls containing windows and doorways are preserved to over 2 meters in height. Faunal remains as well as ceramics and worked stone tools are also abundant. The general time period and region of the world is important because it documents an early stage in the Neolithic Revolution, when village life first emerged and domestic plants and animals first provided the major source of subsistence. A number of larger `urban` PPNB sites have been examined but these likely are not typical of this period. The small Ghwair I excavation will shed light on a little known aspect of this society. Because the site is located in a marginal environmental area it will also provide a new perspective on subsistence adaptation. During the two field seasons Dr. Simmons and his collaborators will excavate large areas to reveal details of village layout and will analyze the cultural materials as well as faunal and floral remains. An areal site survey will also be conducted and geomorphological analysis will trace changes in past environments. Archaeologists have come to realize that within `simple` societies, sites cannot be studied in isolation. They form parts of large social systems which are economically and politically integrated and that individual sites may serve specialized functions. Dr. Simmons' research is important because it takes this broader perspective and will fill in a crucial missing portion of the picture. He postulates that Ghwair I , despite its small size was, in fact, an elite settlement. He also believes that the site, as well as many other PPNB occupations was abandoned because of environmental degradation. This research is important because it will provide data of interest to many archaeologists. It will shed new light on how complex societies, including our own, emerged.