Hunting and herding in a semi-arid region : an archaeozoological and ethological analysis of the faunal remains from the Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic of the eastern Jordanian steppe
This thesis focuses on the faunal remains from a sequence of 11 Epipalaeolithic and ten Neolithic sites in the eastern Jordanian steppe, with the aim of investigating the subsistence practices of hunters and herders between 20,000bp and 7,500bp, and their temporal and geographic variability within the study region. The first section outlines the archaeological and palaeoenvironmental background of the southern Levant; reviews subsistence evidence and models for the periods concerned; and describes the study area and sites. The second section concerns methodological approaches. A model of gazelle ethology for prehistoric eastern Jordan is presented, since this taxon is dominant in many of the study assemblages. Eleven modern case studies are used to predict population structure, demography and mobility, drawing on the principles of behavioural ecology. The archaeozoological methodologies used in the thesis are explained. The third section presents the results of the analyses. Taxonomic identification, quantification and faunal diversity are described and discussed for each assemblage, and broad temporal and geographical trends highlighted. Whether the assemblage compositions reflect the environmental changes
Martin, Louise Anne
Levant; Subsistence; Gazelles
Hunting and herding in a semi-arid region : an archaeozoological and ethological analysis of the faunal remains from the Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic of the eastern Jordanian steppe. This thesis focuses on the faunal remains from a sequence of 11 Epipalaeolithic and ten Neolithic sites in the eastern Jordanian steppe, with the aim of investigating the subsistence practices of hunters and herders between 20,000bp and 7,500bp, and their temporal and geographic variability within the study region. The first section outlines the archaeological and palaeoenvironmental background of the southern Levant; reviews subsistence evidence and models for the periods concerned; and describes the study area and sites. The second section concerns methodological approaches. A model of gazelle ethology for prehistoric eastern Jordan is presented, since this taxon is dominant in many of the study assemblages. Eleven modern case studies are used to predict population structure, demography and mobility, drawing on the principles of behavioural ecology. The archaeozoological methodologies used in the thesis are explained. The third section presents the results of the analyses. Taxonomic identification, quantification and faunal diversity are described and discussed for each assemblage, and broad temporal and geographical trends highlighted. Whether the assemblage compositions reflect the environmental changes
hunting herd semi_arid region archaeozoological analysis_faunal remain epipalaeolithic neolithic eastern steppe focus faunal_remains sequence epipalaeolithic neolithic_site eastern steppe aim_investigate subsistence_practice herder temporal geographic variability_within study region first_section outline archaeological palaeoenvironmental background southern_levant review subsistence evidence model period concern describes study_area site second_section concern methodological_approach model prehistoric eastern jordan present since taxon dominant many study assemblage eleven modern case_study use_predict population structure demography mobility draw principle behavioural ecology archaeozoological methodology use explain third_section present analyse taxonomic identification quantification faunal diversity describe discussed assemblage broad temporal geographical trend highlight whether assemblage composition reflect environmental_change