Results from excavations at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) site of Zahrat adh-Dhra' 2 (ZAD 2) in Jordan promise to resolve ambiguity over the introduction of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic В (PPNB) period in the southern Levant. Zahrat adh-Dhra ' 2 is the first southern PPNA site to date exclusively to the late PPNA period (9 600-9 300 BP/ 9 200-8 300 cal ВС). The settlement is a small mound containing a single phase of curvilinear architecture. It has yielded a range of characteristic PPNA material culture items and practices, including evidence of cranial removal, a varied ground stone industry with cup-hole mortars, geometrically incised plaques and pebbles ; and a lithic assemblage which includes bladelet cores, a preponderance of bladelets, borers, Beit Та 'amir sickles, Hagdud truncations, picks, edge-ground axes, and tranchet axes. It lacks typical PPNB features such as naviform blade core technology, and notched and tanged projectile points. It also bears evidence for a subsistence economy based on hunting, gathering and the cultivation of cereals and possibly legumes (so-called "pre-domestication cultivation"). ZAD 2 casts doubt upon the authenticity of a prominent chronological scheme which places the southern Levantine Early PPNB phase dating from (9 600-9 200 BP/ also 9 200-8 300 cal ВС). Details of the radiocarbon dates obtained for ZAD 2 and their relationship to the stratigraphie order of the site are given here. Nevertheless, a marked plateau on the early Holocene part of the radiocarbon calibration curve renders it difficult to sequentially order calibrated dates within the 9 600-9 200 BP period, and thus to distinguish between the alternative chronological schemes. In the future, Bayesian modeling of date sequences from individual sequences may assist in this regard. Bayesian modeling of the ZAD 2 dates was undertaken here in order to estimate a likely occupational span for the site. This analysis suggests that the occupation of ZAD 2 can be constrained to the period 8 800-8 450 cal ВС. Yet more recently discovered than ZAD 2, a new phase at the site of'Motza in Israel promises to further elucidate the question of the EPPNB in the southern Levant. With these fresh perspectives newly at hand, we review evidence from several southern Levantine sites previously claimed as exemplars of the southern EPPNB. We also examine their relation to Syrian Pre-Pottery Neolithic sites ; in particular Dja 'de al-Mughara and the new work at Tell Aswad in the Damascus Basin which has radically altered our understanding of that site and weakened its pivotal importance as a reference point for the southern Levantine PPNA and EPPNB. We conclude that, according to the debate as it has been played out in the uncalibrated chronology, the EPPNB phase originated in north Syria around 9 600 BP and the southern Levantine PPNB began around 9 350/9 300 BP.
Cultural heritage in many parts of the world is seen as cultural treasure and as a non-renewable resource. When cultural heritage management is controlled by a national entity and well-planned, then historical buildings, archaeological sites, and artefacts are protected and valued. they become national resources that contribute to increasing historical knowledge, community pride and tourism. however, ideology and politics can undercut the importance of such cultural heritage, particularly if politics is used as a pretext to justify occupation and land confiscation. archaeological remains in Palestine constitute an enormous resource for human knowledge that have been left in the ground by a wide range of ethnic, national and religious groups. this vast wealth has created a dilemma for archaeologists, who continue to struggle to create a successful means of managing and protecting the resources adequately. the situation has been exacerbated by political and religious motivations, most particularly since the establishment of the state of Israel. this paper will present a brief history of archaeological research in Palestine, followed by an argument that emphasises the importance of archaeologists engaging local residents in order to build awareness of the material cultural heritage where they live. archaeologists can join with local communities to create a sense of pride and curation, so that residents act as allies in the battle to protect cultural heritage. examples from Norway will be presented in order to highlight the effectiveness and necessity of building awareness in local communities. this same approach could be a model for a similar alliance among Palestinian communities. Well-planned efforts can lead to greater protection of cultural heritage by involving local government authorities, archaeological and heritage professionals and residents of local communities. Awareness of the significance of cultural heritage must be cultivated and is a major factor in motivating local residents to protect cultural heritage. In the end, I will argue for a Palestinian archaeological entity that transcends ideological concerns over archaeological materials, and emphasises the protection of archaeological materials as universal heritage. I will also express the necessity of focusing on common goals and achievements rather than on competition over power and funding.
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