The Prehistory of Jordan, II: Perspectives from 1997.

• Author: ROSEN, STEVEN A.
• Position: Review

The Prehistory of Jordan, II: Perspectives from 1997. Edited by HANS GEORG K. GEBEL, ZEIDAN KAFAFI, and GARY O. ROLLEFSON. Studies in Early New Eastern Production, Subsistence, and Environment, vol. 4. Berlin: Ex ORIENT, 1997. $90, DM 160.

Intensive prehistoric archaeological research in Jordan is a relatively recent phenomenon, for all intents and purposes having begun only in the early 1980s. As a "younger brother" to prehistoric archaeology in Israel and Palestine, whose history goes back to the 1920s, in one sense prehistoric studies in Jordan might be seen to suffer from implied constant comparison to the "elder sibling." In another sense, however, the fact that prehistoric studies in Jordan are less established and less well-entrenched in research traditions affords the opportunity for exploring new territories and new ideas with the most modern methods available, and provides a critical check on the mass of research and theory already accumulated. For anyone interested in Near Eastern prehistory or for that matter, Old World prehistory in general, the publication of The Prehistory of Jordan is an important event, with materials for thought, debate, and incorporation over a wide range of issues.

The volume is divided into five sections: the Paleolithic (thirteen papers), the Neolithic (twelve papers), the Chalcolithic and related Early Bronze Age (eight papers), archaeobiological studies (ten papers), and archaeometric analyses (five papers). Some seventy-four scholars took part in these studies, a number with multiple contributions. Each section consists of a series of specific reports and studies, followed by one or two more generalizing or synthesizing works. There is some overlap between sections since the archacobiological and archaeometric studies clearly have significant bearing on the specific-period studies.

The quantity of material presented clearly precludes in-depth critique. Nevertheless, several points of general interest are worthy of note. Within the Paleolithic, the seemingly ever-increasing variability in lithic assemblages and industries strains traditional models and explanations. Thus, Copeland suggests that Lower Paleolithic sites perhaps ought to be classified by chronology and not by the traditional "coarseness" of the assemblage. Clark et at. review the chrono-stratigraphy of the Middle Paleolithic, essentially placing yet another nail in the coffin of the Tabun sequence as some kind of type section. Applying...