Faunal remains from recent excavations at Shishan Marsh 1 (SM1), a Late Lower Paleolithic open-air site in the Azraq Basin, Jordan

Excavations from 2013 to 2015 at the site of Shishan Marsh 1 (SM1) in the Azraq Basin of eastern Jordan have yielded substantial late middle Pleistocene lithic assemblages in association with faunal remains. Faunal preservation is poor, but multiple taxa have been identified, including cf. Panthera...

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Published inQuaternary research Vol. 91; no. 2; pp. 768 - 791
Main Authors Pokines, James T., Lister, Adrian M., Ames, Christopher J. H., Nowell, April, Cordova, Carlos E.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York, USA Cambridge University Press 01.03.2019
Subjects
Aquifers
Grasslands
Lithic
Marshes
Museums
Neurosciences
Paleolithic
Pleistocene
Precipitation
Predation
Research Article
Wetlands
Asia
Syria
Middle Pleistocene
Azraq
Acheulean
Fauna
Jordan
Paleolithic
Shishan Marsh 1
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Summary:Excavations from 2013 to 2015 at the site of Shishan Marsh 1 (SM1) in the Azraq Basin of eastern Jordan have yielded substantial late middle Pleistocene lithic assemblages in association with faunal remains. Faunal preservation is poor, but multiple taxa have been identified, including cf. Panthera leo, Gazella sp., Bos cf. primigenius, Camelus sp., Equus spp., cf. Stephanorhinus hemitoechus, Palaeoloxodon cf. recki, and Elephas cf. hysudricus. The overall Azraq habitat may have been most similar to a savanna ecosystem, with a mixture of open grassland/shrub habitats and more closed vegetation along the wetlands margins. These taxa were drawn to the relatively lush oasis environment, where they were a dietary resource of the hominin groups exploiting the wetlands resources.
ISSN:0033-5894
1096-0287
DOI:10.1017/qua.2018.113