Abstract
ABSTRACTUnderstanding Neolithic sites in southwest Asia is often difficult because of the lack of preservation of organic remains and the effects of various taphonomic processes that alter the original record. Here, we use an ethnographic approach to test the potential of using plant phytoliths and geochemistry to aid our interpretation of southwest Asian Neolithic sites. Our study of a recently abandoned stone and mud constructed village in Jordan, shows that for certain activity types, phytoliths and geochemistry can help distinguish different construction methods and functions, particularly for burnt areas, animal use areas and where there has been the addition of a specific construction material. For features constructed from the same source materials distinctions are more problematic. Geochemical and phytolith proxies were individually effective in distinguishing activity areas and construction materials, but signals were diminished when the statistical analysis was run on both forms of evidence combined. It is therefore recommended that the data from plant phytolith and geochemical analyses are subject to separate statistical tests and that the two sets of results are used in combination to interpret archaeological sites and their uses.
Highlights
The Neolithic in Southwest AsiaThe Neolithic in southwest Asia (c 11,700–7800 cal BP) is an important period in human history that saw the advent of sedentism, agriculture and paved the way for increased social complexity and urbanism
The selected elemental concentration data and the phytolith percentages were checked prior to statistical analyses to assess whether the observed values were sensible and to exclude any erroneous data
No analytical errors were identified but some data outliers were noticed. These data outliers were not errors but investigative outliers that resulted from anthropogenic sources, and as such were retained because they contained useful information about human practices
Summary
The Neolithic in southwest Asia (c 11,700–7800 cal BP) is an important period in human history that saw the advent of sedentism, agriculture and paved the way for increased social complexity and urbanism. It is one of the most poorly understood. A further consideration for all archaeological investigations is that even when preservation is good, interpreting the evidence can be problematic because many variables influence the archaeological record and impede understanding. Archaeologists frequently do not understand what types of evidence and signals can be produced from different activities (see Shillito 2017 for a full discussion)
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