First application of OSL dating to a chalcolithic well structure in Qulban Bani Murra, Jordan

This study presents the first OSL dates for a well structure presumed to have been built by pastoralists in Qulbān Banī Murra, Jordan. The site is assumed to belong to the Chalcolithic culture (5th millennium BC). It includes partly megalithic burial fields connected to a water management system. Two sediment samples, composed from reddish silty material used as a hardened lining material for the well structures, were dated using OSL (quartz OSL and feldspar post IR-IRSL). The good agreement between the two chronometers confirms that the sediment was fully reset at the time of burial, and so gives confidence in the reliability of the chronology. The average age derived from quartz of the two samples is 4.6±0.2 BC and 4.77±0.27 BC for ages derived from feldspar. Both ages are in agreement with earlier assumptions. These dates represent some of the first instrumental ages for this widespread water-using culture

Direct dating of a major rockfall at the Ba'ja Neolithic site (Jordan) using rock surface luminescence

In this study, we use luminescence rock surface dating to provide burial ages for buried surfaces of a large boulder now positioned on top of the ruins of the Neolithic Ba'ja village in Southern Jordan. Luminescence depth profiles for quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), and feldspar infrared stimulated luminescence (IR50) signals indicate that the boulder experienced a complex transport history of at least two exposure and two burial events before final emplacement. By comparing the fading-corrected feldspar IR luminescence burial ages derived from these rock surfaces with quartz OSL ages derived from sediment infill from the archaeological structures underneath the boulder, it is concluded that there was a rockfall event around 7–8 ka ago, possibly as the result of an earthquake. Whatever the nature of this event, it resulted in the first recorded movement of the boulder, when the rock was presumably dislodged on the hill slope but did not travel all the way to the settlement at the foot of the slope. About 3–4 ka ago, after the village had been abandoned and the rooms filled with rubble, further movement occurred, possibly initiated by an earthquake. This final transport event moved the boulder further downslope, embedding it in the cultural layers of the derelict settlement on top of the partially collapsed settlement walls

Investigating the Neolithic rubble layers of ‘Ain Ghazal, Jordan, using luminescence dating

A chronological study was conducted on the Neolithic depositional layers widely known as ‘Rubble layers’ at the Neolithic site ‘Ain Ghazal, Jordan. The aim of this study was to provide new knowledge about the layers, and their deposition, using luminescence dating. Luminescence ages suggests that the rubble layers were deposited in two distinct episodes, the first around 8.2–8.5 ka ago during the Yarmoukian period, and the second during Chalcolithic period around 6.6–7.4 ka ago. The earlier episode is contemporaneous with records of episodic torrential rainfall during an arid period between 8.6 and 8.0 ka ago, supporting the hypothesis of deposition by natural causes such as flash floods.</p

The Big Circles in Jordan:First absolute ages using rock luminescence surface dating

In this study, we provide the first absolute ages for a Big Circle megalithic structure in Jordan, using rock surface luminescence dating of the buried surface of rocks collected from circle J4 in southern Jordan. Five rocks were used for this study. All rocks showed evidence of previous daylight exposure before being used in the construction of the circle. The exposure was sufficient to bleach the latent luminescence signal to a negligible level compared to the subsequent burial dose. Three rocks gave indistinguishable ages, and were last exposed to daylight in 1500 ± 100 BCE; this is very likely to be the date of circle construction. Two others gave younger ages, indicating later disturbance or reworking. These new results provide very strong evidence for construction during the Late Bronze Age, and refute the earlier hypothesis of construction during Umayyad period (661–750 CE) as a hunting trap

Luminescence dating of anthropogenic deposits from Tall Zarʿa in the Jordan Valley

This study uses quartz-based optically stimulated luminescence dating to determine when a massive fortification wall (W11186) was constructed in the archaeological site of Tall Zarʿa in the Jordan Valley. A total of 11 samples of sediments were taken from a trench on the north side of the wall (extramuros). The extracted quartz grains had good luminescence characteristics and were identified as well bleached by comparison with feldspar infrared-stimulated luminescence (IRSL) ages. The optical ages showed that the deposition against the wall occurred in two different periods. The first was around 3.20 ± 0.07 ka ago (Iron Age), and the second was around 2.28 ± 0.08 ka (Hellenistic period). Human activity was evident because of the intermixing of cultural material with the presumed naturally deposited units.</p