Definition
’Ain Ghazal (“Spring of the Gazelles”) is a major Neolithic settlement located near Amman in northwestern Jordan. The site is situated on footslopes and toeslopes in the Zarqa River valley, the second largest tributary of the Jordan River. Archaeological excavations were conducted at ’Ain Ghazal during seasons beginning in 1982. Although a relatively small portion of the site has been excavated, the findings have been remarkable and have brought about the reevaluation of some basic assumptions regarding Neolithic life (Simmons, 2007). The most significant discoveries at the site relate to chronology, size and population, economy, ritual and artistic life, ecological adaptation, and the ultimate abandonment of the site.
Covering an area of at least 12 ha, ’Ain Ghazal is three times the size of Jericho and represents one of the largest aceramic Neolithic sites recorded in the Near East. Hence, it probably was a major population center, although the entire site may not have...
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Mandel, R.D., Simmons, A.H. (2017). ’Ain Ghazal. In: Gilbert, A.S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geoarchaeology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4409-0_66
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