[H-CG25] Cultural Hydrology

[HCG25-01] Palaeolithic exploitation of water resources and lithic materials in Jebel Qalkha (Southern Jordan)

*Yasuhisa Kondo¹, Seiji Kadowaki², Kazunobu Ikeya³ (1.Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, 2.Nagoya University, 3.National Museum of Ethnology)

Keywords:Palaeolithic period, Southern Jordan, arid land, water resource, lithic material, GIS modelling

During the Paleolithic period, when humans did not yet have the technology to dig wells or build an irrigation system, the use of rainwater (surface water) was the norm. It can be imagined that, particularly in arid regions such as the Arabian Peninsula, the availability of water resources was critically important in choosing a place to live. Similarly, the availability of lithic materials, used to make stone tools for hunting and processing, was also important. The Jebel Qalkha area in Southern Jordan is known as a place where both water resources and lithic materials could be obtained, and several archaeological sites, including Tor Hamar, are known. Assuming that Jebel Qalkha is a bare mountain, a hydrological analysis of surface water revealed that surface water was concentrated in the canyon where the sites were located. A travel cost analysis also revealed that the canyon was equidistant from several lithic source sites and can be equally utilized. These findings may partially explain why Paleolithic people preferred to occupy this canyon.