Test Excavations at Wadi Zarqa Ma...n 1, a Natural Sinkhole Faunal Trap Site, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

The site of Wadi Zarqa Ma...n 1 (WZM-1), in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, was test excavated beneath a large fissure that is a frequent roost for barn owls (Tyto alba). The site is located approximately 730 m above mean sea level, and 10 km south-southwest of Madaba, Jordan. This large limestone...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bulletin of ASOR
Authors: Pokines, James T. (Author) ; Ames, Christopher J. H. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: The University of Chicago Press 2015
In: Bulletin of ASOR
RelBib Classification:HH Archaeology
KBL Near East and North Africa
Further subjects:B taphonomy
B SINKHOLES
B BARN owl
B Wadi Zarqa Ma'in 1
B Tyto alba
B Excavations (archaeology)
B Jordan
B microfauna
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Summary:The site of Wadi Zarqa Ma...n 1 (WZM-1), in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, was test excavated beneath a large fissure that is a frequent roost for barn owls (Tyto alba). The site is located approximately 730 m above mean sea level, and 10 km south-southwest of Madaba, Jordan. This large limestone sinkhole is a natural faunal trap and roosting site for multiple species of raptor, accumulating significant faunal remains from their prey within its deposits. The mammalian taxa Suncus etruscus, Crocidura suaveolens, Spalax leucodon, Cricetulus migratorius, Gerbillus dasyurus, Meriones tristrami, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, Acomys cahirinus, Allactaga euphratica, Microtus guentheri, Otonycteris hemprichii, and Hemiechinus auritus were identified, with a total MNI of n = 1,713 from a maxilla and mandible NISP of n = 5,465. Mollusk, bird, reptile, amphibian, and scorpion remains were also collected and are under analysis. This site was investigated as part of a larger regional palaeoecological project. WZM-1 has the potential to be a significant source of faunal, sedimentary, palynological, and macrobotanical data regarding climate change in Jordan, with deposits that may span the entire history of domestication in the Near East and extend well into the Pleistocene.
ISSN:2161-8062
Contains:Enthalten in: American Schools of Oriental Research, Bulletin of ASOR
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.5615/bullamerschoorie.373.0121