Debitage analysis of ʻUyun al-Hammâm : the reconstruction of epipalaeolithic reduction sequences
Date
2008-06-09T18:16:14Z
Authors
Macdonald, Danielle
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Abstract
The transition from a hunter-gatherer way of life to sedentary food-producing societies was a pivotal shift in human prehistory, affecting social, political, economic and ideological structures. The Epipalaeolithic in the Levant precedes the "origins of agriculture" and is the key to understanding the beginnings of social and economic phenomena seen in the later periods. Excavations at the site `Uyun al-Hammâm, located in northern Jordan, has uncovered a large amount of lithic material, faunal remains, and several human burials suggesting this site was a place of importance on the Epipalaeolithic landscape. This thesis explores the lithic debitage from `Uyun al-Hammâm to determine the stages of reduction that are represented in the assemblage. Debitage analysis, in conjunction with other site data, contributes to a robust understanding of the site's unique function during the Epipalaeolithic.
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prehistoric tools, Jordan, stone implements