PALÉORIENT vol. 7/1 1981

THE LATE ACHEULEAN SITE AT FJAJE, WADI EL-BUSTAN, SOUTHERN JORDAN

G.O. ROLLEFSON

Introduction

In contrast to the relative intensity of research performed in some parts of the Near East, the highland regions of Jordan east of the Rift Valley remain virtually unsampled in terms of Pleistocene paleolithic investigations. Early surveys by Field, Rhotert, and Zeu- ner (1) demonstrated the wealth of surface sites dating to the Lower, Middle, and Upper Paleolithic times, but beyond a couple of brief excavations (2), little effort was focused on the systematic recovery of information from in situ paleolithic deposits. Later surveys in Jordan were either limited in temporal scope (3) or dealt with areas which have been subjected to intensive disturbance due to agriculture or natural post-depositional agencies (4).

As is often the case in paleolithic prehistory, one of the most fascinating sites in Jordan came to light as the result of accident : in the course of excavating a sump at Ain el-Assad just south of Azraq in eastern Jordan, large numbers of bifaces, cores, flakes, and flake implements appeared in the unearthed sediments (5). An examination of the artifacts still remaining in the backdirt piles from this uncontrolled excavation demonstrated the unique nature of this Late Acheulean site because of the very high percentage of cleavers (6).

It was also by accident that a vast site was discovered at Fjaje in southern Jordan. In December of 1978 an amateur archaeologist visited the agricultural station

there (7), and his notice of several bifaces in the fields brought the attention of the author to this remarkable expanse of Lower Paleolithic occupation.

Setting and description

The Fjaje agricultural station is located approximately 4 km northeast of the Shobak Crusader fortress, just north of the road from Nijil to Tafila (fig. 1 and 2). The paleolithic site lies within the fenced confines of the station on a triangular spit of land jutting out between two unnamed drainages which descend sharply to a confluence with the Wadi el-Bustan. The Wadi el-Bus- tan wends towards the northwest to join the system including the Wadi Hamra, the Wadi Ghuweir, the Wadi Dana, and eventually debouching into the Wadi Feinan on the eastern margin of the Wadi Arabah. Within the ca. 1 5 km distance from the Fjaje site to the Wadi Feinan, the absolute elevation of the land falls from approximately 1 280m to 250m above sea level.

The surface of the Fjaje site slopes gently towards the south, although the fringes of the triangular peninsula drop suddenly to the northwest and northeast near both small wadis. Vegetation on the site includes several windrows of recently planted cypress trees along the station driveway and among the buildings, as well as smaller galleries of young eucalyptus trees. In the more open parts of the site, which measures approximately six hectares (15 acres) in extent, the ground is sporad-

specimens.