GEOARCHAEOLOGY AND PREHISTORIC TRANSITIONS IN THE AZRAQ Druz BASIN, JORDAN: PRELIMINARY DATA AND HYPOTHESIS FOR A 4-DIMENSIONAL MODEL OF LANDSCAPE CHANGE Christopher J.H. Ames and Carlos E. Cordova Introduction The Azraq Basin in eastern Jordan has long been the focus of archaeological research, pro- ducing a record of occupation from the Lower Palaeolithic to historical periods (Copeland and Hours 1988; Cordova et al. 2008; Cordova et al. 2009; Garrard et al. 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1994; Richter 2009; Rollefson et al. 1997; see Nowell's and Bisson's chapters in this volume). Additionally, the Azraq Basin is positioned be- tween the areas of influence of the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean, making it highly sensi- tive to global climatic fluctuations and thus an ideal location for paleoclimatic investigations (Abed et al. 2008; Bar-Matthews et al. 2003; Macumber 2001; Turner and Makhlouf 2005). The rich archaeological record in Azraq is of- ten attributed to the local springs, which would have provided resource refugia for prehistoric populations, continuing to support flora and fauna even during periods of dry, harsh condi- tions (Copeland 1988; Henry 1986; Macumber 2001 ). Such an attractive locus of human occu- pation, set in a dynamic environment, and span- ning critical periods of our species' evolution, makes the Azraq basin an ideal location to study the complex evolutionary relationship between hominins (Homo erectus, H. neanderthalensis and H. sapiens) and environmental change. The Azraq Basin is situated approximate- ly 80 km to the east of Amman and is a major crossroad for travel between Amman, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq (Fig. lA). This endorheic ba- sin is fed by wadis originating in Jordan, south- em Syria, and northern Saudi Arabia, which all drain into the bottom of the depression known -69- as Qa'Azraq. Many publications have described the geographical and geological setting and they will not be described in detail here (see Copeland 1988; Copeland and Hours 1988; Garrard et al. 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1994; Ibrahim 1996; Richter 2009; Richter et al. 2008). The majority of archaeological work in the Azraq region has focused on the northwestern part of the basin, which is divided into a north- em and southern area, both situated near his- toric springs and marshlands on the western and northwest edge of the Qa'Azraq (Fig. lB). The North Azraq settlement, nearest the former Druz Marsh, has been dry since the late 1980s due to a lowering of the water table as a result of over- pumping the aquifer (Abed et al. 2008). The South Azraq settlement is located near the Azraq Wetland Reserve, which is managed by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN). The current wetland in the reserve was restored by pumping water in from one of the wells. The wetland, however, occupies only a minimal area (roughly 7%) of the original wet area. Prior to the reduction in the water table, the North Azraq Basin was a highly dynamic seasonal hydrological system characterized by seasonal changes in the quality and amount of water in the marshes due to spring flow and fluvial input (Nelson 1973; United Nations Development Programme 1966). The system of seasonal water flow involved exchanges of water between the marshes and the Qa' Azraq (Fig. 2). At the onset of the rainy season, or winter, when the water levels were still low, the wadis flowed into the centre of the Qa'Azraq. The level of the seasonal pond would force wa-