Optical dating of sediments in Wadi Sabra (SW Jordan)

Klasen, Nicole; Hilgers, Alexandra; Schmidt, Christoph; Bertrams, Manuel; Schyle, Daniel; Lehmkuhl, Frank; Richter, Jürgen; Radtke, Ulrich

doi:10.1016/j.quageo.2013.08.002

Cited by 7 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 37 publications

(65 reference statements)

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“…Dating the fluvial and colluvial samples was challenging due to the fact that the samples showed low quartz luminescence sensitivity. Moreover, partial bleaching of the deposits was expected prior to deposition [30]. The luminescence data from the site of Al-Ansab provide evidence of a phase of continuous aggradation active from 45 ka onwards [30], leaving more or less homogenous fluvial and fluvio-aeolian sand deposits.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 85%

“…At Al-Ansab 1 we discovered a well stratified Early Ahmarian occupation surface embedded in consolidated sand layers of fluvial and aeolian origin [21,30]. Al-Ansab 1 is located in the Lower Wadi Sabra on a Pleistocene sediment promontory at 618 m asl c. 25 m above the narrow wadi bed (Fig 3).…”

Section: First Research Locale: Lower Wadi Sabramentioning

confidence: 90%

“…To determine an absolute age estimate for the archaeological layers at Al-Ansab 1, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates and 14 C dates were obtained. Luminescence dating results provided a relatively broad temporal classification between 45 and 32 ka BP [30], indicating a relatively short period of sedimentation for the existing 20 m of sandy deposits. Radiocarbon dating performed on charcoal found at the Al-Ansab 1 cultural layer allowed to independently test and enhance temporal resolution.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

“…prehistoric hunter-gatherers (Fig 3). Since 2009, a series of field campaigns were conducted to the site [29,21,27,30,32] and sediment studies, radiometric dating and techno-typological analyses of the lithic material were carried out (see S4 Table; for definitions of artefact classes see reference section in S4 Table).…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

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Al-Ansab and the Dead Sea: Mid-MIS 3 archaeology and environment of the early Ahmarian population of the Levantine corridor

et al. 2020

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Our field data from the Upper Palaeolithic site of Al-Ansab 1 (Jordan) and from a pollen sequence in the Dead Sea elucidate the role that changing Steppe landscapes played in facilitating anatomically modern human populations to enter a major expansion and consolidation phase, known as the "Early Ahmarian", several millennia subsequent to their initial Marine Isotope Stage 4/3 migration from Africa, into the Middle East. The Early Ahmarian techno-cultural unit covers a time range between 45 ka-37 ka BP. With so far more than 50 sites found, the Early Ahmarian is the first fully Upper Palaeolithic techno-cultural unit exclusively and undisputedly related to anatomically modern human populations. In order to better understand the potentially attractive features of the Early Ahmarian environmental context that supported its persistence for over 8,000 years, we carried out a decennial research program in Jordan and in the Dead Sea. This included (1) a geoscientific and archaeological survey program in the Wadi Sabra (Jordan) with a particular focus on excavations at the Early Ahmarian site of Al-Ansab 1 alongside the detailed analysis of Quaternary sediments from the same area and (2) palaeobotanical research based on Quaternary lake deposits from the Dead Sea. Our pollen data from the Dead Sea indicate slow, low frequency vegetational variation with expanding Artemisia steppe, from 60 to 20 ka BP (MIS 3-2). Here, we see a reciprocal assimilation of southern and northern Levantine vegetation zones thereby enhancing a long-lasting south-to-north steppe corridor. The same integration process accelerated about 40 ka ago, when forested areas retreated in the Lebanese Mountains. The process then extended to encompass an area from Southern Lebanon to

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Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 85%

Section: First Research Locale: Lower Wadi Sabramentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

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Al-Ansab and the Dead Sea: Mid-MIS 3 archaeology and environment of the early Ahmarian population of the Levantine corridor

et al. 2020

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“…Whilst optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating has been successfully applied in such settings (e.g. Bartz et al, 2015;Bubenzer et al, 2007;Klasen et al, 2013), the applicability of OSL dating of quartz is usually limited to~200 ka due to the low saturation level of the quartz fast component (Wintle and Murray, 2006). For older sediments, infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating of feldspars may represent a valuable alternative, although IRSL ages may suffer from anomalous fading, leading to a loss of signal over time and possible age underestimation (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unravelling fluvial deposition and pedogenesis in ephemeral stream deposits in the vicinity of the prehistoric rock shelter of Ifri n'Ammar (NE Morocco) during the last 100 ka

Bartz

Rixhon

Kehl

et al. 2017

CATENA

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Our study focuses on the ephemeral stream deposits of Wadi Selloum to identify phases of morphodynamic stability (pedogenesis) and activity (flooding) in the direct vicinity of the rock shelter of Ifri n'Ammar (NE Morocco). As one of the oldest settlement sites of anatomically modern humans (AMH) in North Africa, Ifri n'Ammar documents periodical occupations since~170 ka. Since the discontinuous settlement record may reflect climate forcing with subsequent landscape changes, we aim at reconstructing the palaeoenvironmental variability recorded in the ephemeral stream deposits. In addition to the use of micromorphological, sedimentological, geochemical and mineralogical methods, the geochronological framework of ephemeral stream deposits was established by the application of different luminescence dating techniques. The deposition ages between 102 ± 8 ka and 1.3 ± 0.2 ka span different morphodynamically stable and active phases. Periods of enhanced aggradation occurred around~100 ka,~75 ka,~55 ka, after the LGM, and during the Holocene, whilst sedimentation ended after~1.3 ka. The Wadi Selloum might be characterised by enhanced flooding during humid phases. Pedogenesis may be used as environmental indicator for more humid climate conditions during MIS 3 (palaeo-Calcisol), the early Holocene (Calcisol) and the late Holocene (Fluvisol). This study thus provides first insights into the palaeoenvironmental changes around the rock shelter of Ifri n'Ammar during the last glacial-interglacial cycle.

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Gazelle Hunting Strategies in the Early Ahmarian: Close-Range Visuospatial Characteristics of Site Locations Indicate Spatially Focused Hunting Strategies on Gazella sp. During the Early Ahmarian

Sauer

Schoenenberg

2021

J Paleo Arch

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Visual conditions around Palaeolithic sites determine how the landscape was perceived by prehistoric hunter-gatherers. By placing the site in different landscapes, different visual foci were encoded in the locational characteristics of the different places. For the Early Ahmarian sites in the Levant, it can be shown that visual characteristics differ significantly with the combination of large ungulate prey exploited at the respective location. A Higuchi viewshed approach was combined with total viewsheds of the study area to introduce a human scale into the viewshed modelling. While diverse prey locations in the Mediterranean biome provide an overview over the landscape, specialised prey locations in the steppe biomes of the Irano-Turanian and Saharo-Arabian biome have their focus on the immediate vicinity of the sites. This correlates with the placement of sites in the context of highly humid environments which can be best exemplified with the site of Al-Ansab 1 in the escarpments of the Jordanian Rift Valley. Here, the environmental conditions acted as a magnet, focusing gazelles on the migration between different environments.

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Optical dating of sediments in Wadi Sabra (SW Jordan)

Cited by 7 publications

References 37 publications

Al-Ansab and the Dead Sea: Mid-MIS 3 archaeology and environment of the early Ahmarian population of the Levantine corridor

Al-Ansab and the Dead Sea: Mid-MIS 3 archaeology and environment of the early Ahmarian population of the Levantine corridor

Unravelling fluvial deposition and pedogenesis in ephemeral stream deposits in the vicinity of the prehistoric rock shelter of Ifri n'Ammar (NE Morocco) during the last 100 ka

Gazelle Hunting Strategies in the Early Ahmarian: Close-Range Visuospatial Characteristics of Site Locations Indicate Spatially Focused Hunting Strategies on Gazella sp. During the Early Ahmarian

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