The Fourth Excavation Season at Jabal Juhayra, Aug/Sep 2015

Sumio Fujii
Kanazawa University, Japan

1. Introduction
Our long-term research project, the Jafr Basin Prehistoric Project (JBPP), started in 1997
with a view to tracing the process of pastoral nomadization in southern Jordan. For thisobjective, we have investigated a few dozen archaeological sites varying in both date andcharacter. The series of research outcome was recently synthesized in the form of the Jafr
chronology, which has enabled us to roughly sketch the process of pastoral nomadization inthe region (Fujii 2013). The current phase of the project aims to develop the details of theJafr chronology and, by so doing, provide further insights into the formation process of theBadia society in southern Jordan. Jabal Juhayra is among several sites that were selected toapproach the issue.
2. The Site
Jabal Juhayra is located at the forefront of the hilly terrain that fringes the northwesternedge of the al-Jafr Basin (Fig. 1). The site occupies the southeastern flank of an isolated
volcanic hill of the same name, commanding a small gully that flows down eastward fromthe hillside (Figs. 2, 3). It was found for the first time during our general season survey in2002 and tentatively registered as JF-0116 (Fujii 2002; Fujii and Abe 2008). A testsounding, taken place in August 2014, suggested that the site contains two distinct culturallayers: Layer 2 dated to the LN/early Chalcolithic transitional phase and Layer 3 dated tothe Late PPNB (Fujii 2014). The second season was devoted to the excavation of the Layer
2 (LN/Chalcolithic) settlement (Fujii 2015; Fujii, Adachi et al. n.d.), and the third season
dealt with a barrage-like masonry wall belonging to the Layer 3 settlement. The fourth
season, our main concern, addressed a comprehensive excavation of the Layer 3 (LPPNB)
settlement that extends along the scoria terrace above the gully.
4. Excavation results
Structural remains: The excavation showed that the Layer 3 settlement was composed ofsix rockshelter dwellings, several terrace walls, a dozen open-air features, a few dozen
rock-cut cisterns, and a stone-built barrage. They were aligned along the scoria terrace to1

form a settlement c. 40 m in total length. The highlight of the excavations was Rockshelter
6 at the southwestern edge of the elongated settlement. This unique structure wasconstructed by means of attaching masonry walls as exterior equipment to the scoria/basalt
rockshelter modified in advance into a predetermined form (Fig. 4). In terms of typology, it
had a tripartite rectangular plan, being equipped with an entrance on the gable side andpartitioned by two pairs of buttress-like inner walls. Overall, it has much in common withpier houses characteristic of the Beidha layer 2 structural entity, suggesting close
relationship with farming communities to the west. The remaining five rockshelters werealso partly modified but not associated with such an elaborate finishing process (Fig. 5).
The settlement included a stone-built barrage and a few dozens rock-cut cisterns as well,both of which were constructed in Layer 3 and covered with Layer 2 deposits or features(Figs. 6. 7). Thus they undoubtedly date back to the Late PPNB period. This finding has
corroborated anew our perspective that the Jafr PPNB was sustained by advanced water-usetechnology (Fujii 2013).
Small finds: The chipped flint assemblage from the Layer 3 settlement was characterized by
the predominance of naviform core-and-blade components and the frequency of projectile
points (Fig. 8). In addition, grinding implements, stone vessels (Fig. 9), animal bone tools,
whetstones, shell ornaments, and faunal remains also occurred in a certain number. Amongothers, the stone vessels were highly developed and represented a remarkable trait of theLayer 3 settlement. For details, refer to the list attached to the end of this report.
5. Discussion
The excacation results have provided valuable insights into the PPNB culture in the al-Jafr
Basin. Of special interest is the techno-typological sequence of the six rockshelter
dwellings. Evidence suggests that the elongated settlement began with Rockshelter 6 andended with simple rockshelter dwellings only partly modified and not associated withmasonry walls. Given this, it would follow that the tradition of the parent settlement,
probably Beidha or a Beidha-type settlement, was gradually replaced by the simple
construction-, and probably life-, style in the course of the adaptation to the arid periphery.
The existence of the Layer 2 settlement consisting again of simple rockshelter dwellings
can also be understood in its extension. It is conceivable that this episode represents theinitial process of pastoral nomadization in southern Jordan. We can probably take theremarkable reduction in artifact density and variety during this process to mean both thedecease in group size and the increase in group mobility.
6. Conclusion
Jabal Juhayra is a stratified Neolithic settlement located in an intermediate zone between
farming communities to the west and desert outposts to the east. The series of researchoutcome is all the more important and expected to provide further insights into theformation process of the Badia society in southern Jordan. Nevertheless, our excavations
have not yet fully extracted its archaeological implications. We are planning to conduct
several weeks of complementary investigation in June the next year.

2References
Fujii, S.
2002

A brief note on the 2001-2002 winter season survey of the al-Jafr Basin in southern Jordan.
ADAJ (Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan) 46: 41-49.
2012Flint bowlets: Three additional materials from Wadi Ghuwayr 17 and Wadi Nadiya 2, al-Jafr
Basin. Neo-Lithics 1/12: 33-40.
2013
Chronology Jafr prehistory and protohistory: a key to the process of pastoral nomadization in
the southern Levant. Syria 90: 49-125.
2014
Excavations at Tor Ghuwayr 1 and Jabal Juhayra, 2014. Field report submitted to the DoA.
2015
Excavation at Jabal Juhayra, 2015. Field report submitted to the DoA.
Fujii, S. and Abe, M.
2008
PPNB desert frontier in southern Jordan: A preliminary report of the archaeological surveys inthe Jafr Basin, 1997-2005. Al-Rafidan 29: 63-94.
Fujii, S., Adachi, T. and Nagaya, K.
n.d.
Jabal Juhayra 2014-2015: Excavations of the Layer 2 (Late Neolithic) settlement. ADAJ 59.

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Fig. 1 Jabal Juhayra: site location.

Fig. 2 Jabal Juhayra: general view (looking W).

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Fig. 3 Jabal Juhayra: site plan (as of October 5, 2015).

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Fig. 4 Jabal Juhayra: Rockshelter 6 in Area 1 (looking S).

Fig. 5 Jabal Juhayra: Rockshelters 1-5 and terrace walls in Area 1 (looking W).

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Fig. 6 Jabal Juhayra: pit-type rock-cut cisterns in Area 5 (looking N).

Fig. 7 Jabal Juhayra: terrace-type rock-cut cisterns in Area 5 (looking NE).

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Fig. 8 Jabal Juhayra: chipped flint artifacts from the Layer 3 (LPPNB) settlement.

Fig. 9 Jabal Juhayra: groundstone artifacts from the Layer 3 (LPPNB) settlement.

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