Abstract
AbstractThis study aims to contribute to the interpretation of ephemeral sites by exploring the efficacy of geochemistry and phytolith analysis to identify activity areas in seasonally occupied ethnographic sites. The application of a portable X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) instrument and phytolith analysis to soil samples from six Bedouin campsites at Wadi Faynan, Jordan, provided insights about anthropogenic enrichment patterns and the effects of short periods of abandonment on these. The compatibility of the two analysis techniques and means to combine the results of both are addressed. The results of this study suggest that soil signatures can be found in ephemeral sites following abandonment, even in dynamic and harsh environments. The efficacy of the geochemical analysis to indicate variance within the data was found to be greater than that of the phytolith analysis in these case studies, while certain trends within the phytolith results were more useful in identifying specific activities. Due to the compatibility of the geochemical and phytolith data, it is proposed that a serial or parallel approach should be taken for their statistical analysis.
Highlights
Ephemeral occupation is characteristic of many pastoral and huntergatherer societies, whose settlement reflects the demands of their highly mobile lifestyles
Current publications summarizing developments in the application of geoarchaeological techniques emphasize the importance of ethnoarchaeological studies (Friesem, 2016) and a multiproxy approach (Canti & Huisman, 2015). In accordance with these observations, this study explores the potential of phytolith and geochemical signatures for understanding the use of space at ephemeral sites through the ethnoarchaeological analysis of soil samples collected from six Bedouin campsites in Wadi Faynan, Jordan
Al, and Fe were abundant in the background and floor-related samples, the latter containing slightly higher concentrations of Cl, which allowed us to distinguish them from the natural sediment. These observations agree with findings of earlier studies—Table 2 summarizes the associations between chemical elements and anthropogenic activities found in several previous studies and in this research
Summary
Ephemeral occupation is characteristic of many pastoral and huntergatherer societies, whose settlement reflects the demands of their highly mobile lifestyles These short-lived sites do not often preserve well, yet their remains represent many archaeological periods, especially prehistoric ones. The occupants of WF916 belonged to a paramount group, the Rashayda Tribe, who use well-made stone lined hospitality hearths The members of this tribe prefer the use of wood to dung cakes. The latter are sometimes avoided in the hospitality hearths of all campsites as they produce much smoke, yet preferred in the kitchen hearth because the burning temperature is lower and more consistent than with wood This difference in fuelling between the two hearth types is most prominent within WF916. This observation indicates that hearths at the other campsites were enriched with K and P through the use of dung cakes, as their concentrations are significantly lower in the WF916 hospitality hearth (for details see Vos, 2017)
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