Fitting upland, steppe, and desert into a ‘big picture’ perspective: a case study from northern Jordan

Abstract

Across the Levant a strong dichotomy exists between lowland valley landscapes, often characterized as cultural and economic hubs, and regions of perceived economic, social, and cultural marginality (e.g. uplands, steppes, and deserts). Despite the growing number of surveys and excavations being carried out within these regions there have been few attempts to collate this work into a broader landscape study. This study will demonstrate the potential of using new technologies, alongside traditional survey techniques and the collation of existing literature, to understand how past populations may have exploited regions we now consider inhospitable, bleak, or at least not worth exploiting. Focusing on a broad geographical area, stretching across the north of Jordan, we will consider how human groups interacted with, within and beyond, their landscapes during the 4th millennium bc and the role these regions may have played within wider developments taking place across the entire Levant during the Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age.