Epipaleolithic and Neolithic Subsistence and Settlement in the Fayyum Oasis of Egypt

Wenke, Robert J.; Long, Janet E.; Buck, Paul Η.

doi:10.2307/530128

Cited by 13 publications

(25 citation statements)

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“…The cereals identified in the K pits, emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum) and six-row barley (Hordeum vulgare), are dry adapted and capable of being grown with limited rainfall, although it is unclear whether precipitation sufficient for rainfall agriculture would have been present in the Fayum even during the early and middle Holocene (Hassan, 1986: 494;Phillipps et al, 2012;Wendrich et al, 2017). As a result, it has been suggested that agriculture in the Fayum took place either at the lakeshore following seasonal recession of the Nile-flood-fed high lake stand (Caton-Thompson and Gardner, 1934;Wenke and Casini, 1989: 147-148;Wenke et al, 1988) or in wadis that channeled winter rains to strategically planted areas (Holdaway et al, 2016: 6), analogous to desert production strategies for maize and other crops in the American Southwest (Fish and Fish, 1992;Fish et al, 1985;Sullivan, 2000;Sullivan et al, 2015). Wood charcoal can distinguish whether basin-or lakeshore thickets were cleared for agriculture, suggesting an agricultural strategy in seasonally inundated soils or whether wood from wadis was cleared and brought to settled locations for fuel, indicating a rainfed agricultural strategy.…”

Section: Implications For Agriculturementioning

confidence: 99%

Early- and middle-Holocene wood exploitation in the Fayum basin, Egypt

Marston

Holdaway

2017

The Holocene

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The early and middle Holocene of North Africa was a time of dramatic climatic and social change, including rapid shifts in vegetation communities and the introduction of domesticated plants and animals. Recent research from the Fayum basin of Egypt, which holds archaeological evidence for early use of domesticates, aims to place inhabitants of that region within their contemporary environmental setting. We present here results of wood charcoal analysis from three early-and middle-Holocene deposits on the north shore of the Fayum and reconstruct both contemporary woodland ecology and patterns of anthropogenic wood use. In total, three woodland communities likely existed in the area, but inhabitants of this region made heavy use of only the local lakeshore woodland, emphasizing tamarisk (Tamarix sp.) for fuel. While seasonally watered wadi woodlands were not harvested for fuel, more arid locations on the landscape were, evidencing regional mobility between ecological zones. Results indicate that wood was locally abundant and that inhabitants were able to select only preferred species for fuel. This study provides further evidence for low-level food production in the Fayum that preserved critical ecosystem services, rather than dramatic niche construction to promote agriculture as seen elsewhere in middle-Holocene Southwest Asia.

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Section: Implications For Agriculturementioning

confidence: 99%

Early- and middle-Holocene wood exploitation in the Fayum basin, Egypt

Marston

Holdaway

2017

The Holocene

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“…However, Zalat (1996) was recorded commonly abundance of Nitellopsis obtusa associated with sporadic occurrence of some chara taxa in the early Holocene unit that correspond to the basal unit of FA-1 core and suggested oligotrophic freshwater environment of a relatively deep lake with depth of about 4-12 m. This lake was coinciding with the Paleomoeris Lake, which had a low water level due to reduced annual influx from the Nile River (e.g. Hassan, 1986Hassan, , 1988Wenke et al, 1988;Kozłowski and Ginter, 1993). The absence of diatoms or rarely occurrence of poorly preserved forms could result from lowering levels of primary productivity, where the lake had poor nutrients in the early phase of the unstable connection between the Nile and the Faiyum depression.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diatom Stratigraphy of FA-1 Core, Qarun Lake, Records of Holocene Environmental and Climatic Change in Faiyum Oasis, Egypt

et al. 2017

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This study evaluates changes in the environmental and climatic conditions in the Faiyum Oasis during the Holocene based on diatom analyses of the sediment FA-1 core from the southern seashore of the Qarun Lake. The studied FA-1 core was 26 m long and covered the time span ca. 9.000 cal. yrs BP. Diatom taxa were abundant and moderately to well-preserved throughout the core sediments. Planktonic taxa were most abundant than the benthic and epiphytic forms, which were very rare and sparsely distributed. The most dominant planktonic genera were Aulacoseira and Stephanodiscus followed by frequently distribution of Cyclostephanos and Cyclotella species. The stratigraphic distribution patterns of the recorded diatoms through the Holocene sediments explained five ecological diatom groups. These groups represent distinctive environmental conditions, which were mainly related to climatic changes through the early and middle Holocene, in addition to anthropogenic activity during the late Holocene. Comparison of diatom assemblages in the studied sediment core suggests that considerable changes occurred in water level as well as salinity. There were several high stands of the freshwater lake level during humid, warmer-wet climatic phases marked by dominance of planktonic, oligohalobous and alkaliphilous diatoms alternated with lowering of the lake level and slight increases in salinity and alkalinity during warm arid conditions evident by prevalence of brackish water diatoms.

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“…According to the latest fi ndings, agriculture is introduced in Egypt, in Fayium south of Cairo, between 6000 and 5000 BC, possibly somewhat earlier, although not before 7000 BC (Hassan 2002: 63;Wett erström 1993Wett erström /1995. Bifacial, pressure-fl aked arrowheads, which are not known in the area before this period (Wenke et al 1988), are part of this agricultural package. There are factors indicating that the impulses for this fi rst phase came from the Levant.…”

Section: Pressure-fl Aked Arrowheads In Europe and The Near East 600mentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracing pressure-flaked arrowheads in Europe

Apel¹

2011

Becoming European

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Epipaleolithic and Neolithic Subsistence and Settlement in the Fayyum Oasis of Egypt

Cited by 13 publications

References 0 publications

Early- and middle-Holocene wood exploitation in the Fayum basin, Egypt

Early- and middle-Holocene wood exploitation in the Fayum basin, Egypt

Diatom Stratigraphy of FA-1 Core, Qarun Lake, Records of Holocene Environmental and Climatic Change in Faiyum Oasis, Egypt

Tracing pressure-flaked arrowheads in Europe

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