| Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools. |
Early-Holocene environments in the Wadi Faynan, JordanGeographical Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD] 3DH, UK c.o.hunt{at}hud.ac.uk
Department of Geography, Garyounis University, Benghazi, Libya
Department of Geography, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Wales Aberystwyth, Llandinam Building, Penglais, Aberystwyth, Dyfed SY23 8AX, UK
Department of Geography, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE] 7RH, UK
Department of Life Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Campus, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NGJJ 8NS, UK
Geographical Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD] 3DH, UK
Department of Archaeology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE] 7RH, UK; Institute for Archaeological Research, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3ER, UK Evidence for early-Holocene environments in the Wadi Faynan in the rift-margin in souther Jordan is described. The early Holocene of Jordan is not well known and palynology, plant macrofossils and molluscs from Wadi Faynan provide evidence for a much more humid-forest-steppe and steppe-environment than the present stony desert and highly degraded steppe. The early-Holocene fluvial sediments in the Faynan catchment are predominantly fine-grained, epsilon crossbedded and highly fossiliferous. They provide convincing evidence for meandering perennial rivers before 6000 cal. BP. It is probable that this early-Holocene landscape was disrupted by the impact of early farmers and by climate change-the 8.1 ka event appears to be marked by desiccation. By the Chalcolithic, environmental degradation was well advanced.
Key Words: Jordan early Holocene palynology vegetation history palaeoenvironment early farming Wadi Faynan
The Holocene, Vol. 14, No. 6,
921-930 (2004) This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|||||||||||||||
