Tur Imdai Rockshelter: Archaeology of Recent Pastoralists in Jordan

Abstract

AbstractAbstractExcavation of a rockshelter in southern Jordan yielded a record of habitation by pastoralists beginning about A.C. 1650 and continuing to the present. Ethnography and oral history associate the site with the Bedul Bedouin of Petra over the past century. The 3.6 m deep deposits yielded seven radiocarbon dates, microbotanical remains, goat and sheep bones, and a variety of artifacts. There was a shift in use of the shelter in the late 17th century from relatively stable residential occupation, including the use of coarse ware ceramics, to frequent short-term use. The deposits also indicate a cool and/or moist period in the late 17th century, providing evidence for local expression of the "Little Ice Age."