Misplaced Pages

#535464

53-723: At its spring lays 'Ain Ghazal (Arabic: عين غزال ), a major archaeological site that dates back to the Neolithic . Archaeological finds along the course of the river indicate the area was rich in flora and fauna in the past. The river is heavily polluted and its restoration is one of the top priorities for the Jordanian Ministry of the Environment. Geologically, the Zarqa River is about 30 million years old. It

106-454: A bitumen pupil and dioptase highlighting. In all, 32 of those plaster figures were found in two caches, 15 of them full figures, 15 busts, and 2 fragmentary heads. Three of the busts were two-headed. Considerable evidence for mortuary practices during the PPNB period have been described in recent years. Post-mortem skull removal, commonly restricted to the cranium, but on occasion including

159-535: A height of 92.5 meters. The original dam cost $ 46 million and was partially funded by a $ 16.8 million loan from the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development and a $ 5.6 million grant from the Abu Dhabi Fund. Energoprojekt of Yugoslavia was the consultant and Planum of Yugoslavia was the contractor. In 1984, to meet the country's increased water demands, work to raise the dam to a height of 106 meters

212-738: A something of a contradiction in the Hebrew Bible regarding the ownership of the area between the Arnon and Jabbok rivers. According to Numbers , that area originally belonged to the Moabites and was later conquered by Sihon , king of the Amorites , before the Israelites took it ( Numbers 21:13–26 ). However, Judges presents this land as initially Ammonite territory, which the Israelites took from Sihon.( Judges 11:18 ). The headwaters of

265-475: A stench which has been a cause of numerous complaints, particularly during the summer months. Though sewage treatment stations have been built in a couple of locations (including Ain Ghazal and Khirbet As Samra), these stations often receive more water than they can handle. Such overflow occurs during winter floods, as well as during summer months when the population increases with the return of migrant workers to Amman. During overflow, untreated water runs directly to

318-461: A third of adult burials were found in trash pits with their heads intact. Why only some of the inhabitants were properly buried and others simply disposed of remains unresolved. Burials seem to have taken place approximately every 15–20 years, indicating a rate of one burial per generation, though gender and age were not constant in this practice. The site is located at the boundary between Amman's Tariq and Basman districts, next to, and named for,

371-433: Is a topic of much debate. At PPNB Ayn Ghazal goats were a major species, and they were used in a domestic sense, although they may not have been morphologically domestic. Many of the phalanges recovered exhibit pathologies that are suggestive of tethering. An impressive range of wild animal species also were consumed at the site. Over 50 taxa have been identified, including gazelle, Bos, Sus sp., Lepus, and Vulpes. Ayn Ghazal

424-558: Is built on the banks of the Zarqa River, and is the largest settlement along its course. The town of Zarqa was founded in 1902 by Chechen immigrants. Its population grew rapidly with an influx of Palestinian refugees who fled the West Bank during the Six-Day War . The Zarqa river is highly polluted . In many areas, raw sewage flows untreated directly into the river through dry riverbeds ( wadis ), contaminating it and creating

477-630: Is home to more than 52% of Jordan's industrial plants, including the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company. During the summer months, treated domestic and industrial waste-water compose nearly all of the flow, and substantially degrade the water quality. Coupled with over-extraction of water from the underground aquifer and the naturally low base flow of the Zarqa, this has created a major problem, described as one of Jordan's "environmental black spots". and has made rehabilitation of

530-639: Is identified with the biblical river Jabbok. Biblical Jacob crossed the Jabbok on his way to Canaan, after leaving Harran . It leads west into the Sukkot Valley, from where one crosses over the Jordan and can easily reach Shechem , as Jacob eventually did. The biblical cities of Zaretan and Adam are also at the mouth of the valley. The river is first mentioned in the Book of Genesis in connection with

583-414: Is located at an elevation of about 720 m within the ecotone between the oak-park woodland to the west and the open steppe-desert to the east. Ayn Ghazal started as a typical aceramic , Neolithic village of modest size. It was set on terraced ground in a valley-side, and was built with rectangular mud-brick houses that accommodated a square main room and a smaller anteroom. Walls were plastered with mud on

SECTION 10

#1732764962536

636-569: Is remarkable for being the place where the ʿAin Ghazal statues were found, which are among the oldest large-sized statues ever discovered. The settlement at Ayn Ghazal ('Spring of the Gazelle') first appeared in the Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (MPPNB) and is split into two phases. Phase I starts circa 10,300 Before Present (BP) and ends c. 9,950 BP, while phase II ends c. 9,550 BP. The 9th millennium MPPNB period in

689-559: Is well known for its amber deposits that date back to the Hauterivian era of the Early Cretaceous , 135 million years ago. A remarkable flora and fauna was reported from this amber reflecting tropical paleoenvironmental conditions prevailing during the time of resin deposition. The Arabic name, Nahr az-Zarqa' (نهر الزرقاء) means "the blue river", where nahr means river and zarqa' ( زرقاء ) means blue. The Zarqa River

742-538: The Hebrew Bible . Wadi Jarash, a northern tributary of the Zarqa River, flows through the modern city of Jerash . Inhabited since the Bronze Age , Jerash became an important center during the Hellenistic and Roman periods , when it was known as Gerasa, home to noted mathematician Nicomachus . The ruins of the city are well preserved and have been extensively excavated. Zarqa , Jordan's second largest city,

795-527: The Ayn Ghazal Interchange connecting Al-Shahid Street and Army Street (Ayn Ghazal is the name of a minor village just north of the road, now within Tariq district). The site was discovered in 1974 by developers who were building Army St, the road connecting Amman and Zarqa . Excavation began in 1982, however by this time, around 600 meters (1,970 ft) of road ran through the site. Despite

848-473: The LPPNB and PPNC. The vast majority of figurines are of cattle, a species that makes up only 8% of the overall number of identified specimens (NISP) count. The importance of hunted cattle to the domestic ritual sphere of Ayn Ghazal is telling. It was seemingly of importance for individual households to have members who participated both the hunting of cattle – likely a group activity – and the subsequent feasting on

901-522: The Levant represented a major transformation in prehistoric lifeways from small bands of mobile hunter–gatherers to large settled farming and herding villages in the Mediterranean zone, the process having been initiated some 2–3 millennia earlier. In its prime era, circa 7000 BCE (9000 BP), the site extended over 10–15 hectares (25–37 ac) and was inhabited by ca. 3,000 people (four to five times

954-611: The Near East, with about five time the population of neighboring Jericho. During a 1982 survey of the Zarqa Valley, a number of Early Iron Age sites were discovered, concentrated along the banks of the Zerqa and its tributaries. One of them, Tulul adh-Dhahab , is under further research now. It features two neighboring tells which are commonly identified with the ancient Israelite cities of Mahanaim and Penuel , mentioned in

1007-758: The Pre-Pottery Neolithic B populations at Ayn Ghazal Jordan, were mostly composed of two to three different populations: the members of the early Natufian industries, a population resulting from immigration from Anatolia , and another likely from the Fertile Crescent in Iraq or possibly Iran originating near Ganj Dareh . In the earlier levels at Ayn Ghazal there are small ceramic figures that seem to have been used as personal or familial ritual figures. There are figurines of both animals and people. The animal figures are of horned animals and

1060-521: The Zarqa a top priority for the Jordanian Ministry of the Environment. The restoration project is estimated to cost $ 30 million. 32°11′30″N 35°48′06″E  /  32.19167°N 35.80167°E  / 32.19167; 35.80167 Ayn Ghazal (archaeological site) Ayn Ghazal ( Arabic : عين غزال , romanized :  ʿayn ġazāl ) is a Neolithic archaeological site located in metropolitan Amman , Jordan , about 2 km (1.24 mi) north-west of Amman Civil Airport . The site

1113-616: The Zarqa begin just northeast of Amman, rising from a spring named Ain Ghazal ("Gazelle spring"). The river flows to the north before heading west. Rising on the eastern side of the mountains of Gilead , it runs a course of about 105 kilometers (65 mi) in a wild and deep ravine before flowing into the Jordan River between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea , at a point 1,090 meters (3,576 ft) below its origin. At its higher reaches,

SECTION 20

#1732764962536

1166-552: The Zarqa river are about 30 million years old, when the Jordan Rift Valley was formed. A ripple effect of its formation was the creation of side-wadis. The Zarqa river carved into the western edge of one of these side wadis. The earliest exposed formations in the area date from the Triassic and early Jurassic periods, and have been named Zerqa and Kurnub formations. The rock formations are marine sediments, remnants of

1219-426: The Zarqa river. As a result, the Zarqa's water is brownish colored, often with dense foam due to large amounts of organic matter. Other sources of pollutants are the illegal dumping of industrial waste , including those from textile factories, and batteries and oils from garages. The river's watershed encompasses the most densely populated areas east of the Jordan River, and it flows through an industrialized area that

1272-822: The Zarqa upstream of King Talal reservoir, on the road from Amman to Jerash . The bridge is the site of a gauging station where flow measurements are continuously taken. In the city of Zarqa, several bridges, vehicular and pedestrian, cross the river. The earliest of these was built by the Chechen founders of the city. Current bridges include the Zawahreh Bridge, a vehicular bridge connecting Baha' al-Din Street with al-Zuhur Street and another connecting Baha' al-Din Street with King Talal Street. Two pedestrian bridges connect al-Zuhur Street and Baha' al-Din Street, and Wasfi al-Tal Street and Petra Street. The geological origins of

1325-466: The area is still home to a diverse population of birds and mammals, and some of the breeding species found do not breed anywhere else in Jordan. Among the bird species found are the European roller , desert lark , Dead Sea sparrow , desert finch and blue-cheeked bee-eater . The King Talal dam has created a lake which is a habitat for migratory waterfowl and various fish species. Notable birds found in

1378-547: The area of Ayn Ghazal is climatically and environmentally sensitive because of its proximity throughout the Holocene to the fluctuating steppe-forest border. In Ayn Ghazal, the early Pottery Neolithic period starts c. 6,400 BC, and continues to 5,000 BC. As an early farming community, the Ayn Ghazal people cultivated cereals (barley and ancient species of wheat), legumes (peas, beans, lentils and chickpeas) in fields above

1431-445: The banks of the Zarqa, with forests of wild oak growing on the hillsides. Today, tamarix thickets are still widespread in the floodplains, and the banks are cultivated with fruit orchards and vegetable fields. Along the course of Zarqa River, water is pumped directly and used to irrigate crops of leafy vegetables such as parsley , spinach , cabbage , cauliflower and lettuce , as well as potatoes . Olive trees are also found along

1484-470: The community or the elite labor as service and to bond laborers together as part of a new community. In addition to the monumental statues, small clay and stone tokens, some incised with geometric or naturalistic shapes, were found at Ayn Ghazal. The 195 figurines (40 human and 155 animal) recovered were from MPPNB contexts; 81% of the figurines have been found to belong to the MPPNB while only 19% belonging to

1537-464: The damage urban expansion brought, what remained of Ayn Ghazal provided a wealth of information and continued to do so until 1989. One of the more notable archaeological finds during these first excavations came to light in 1983. While examining a cross section of earth in a path carved out by a bulldozer, archaeologists came across the edge of a large pit 2.5 meters (8 ft) under the surface containing plaster statues. Another set of excavations, under

1590-581: The direction of Gary O. Rollefson and Zeidan Kafafi took place in the early 1990s. The site was included in the 2004 World Monuments Watch by the World Monuments Fund to call attention to the threat of encroaching urban development. King Talal Dam The King Talal Dam is a large dam in the hills of northern Jordan , across the Zarqa River . The dam was started in 1971, with the original construction being completed in 1978 at

1643-407: The end of the MPPNB. At this point in time their estimated population was 600–750 people or 125–150 people per hectare. The diet of the occupants of PPNB Ayn Ghazal was varied. Domesticated plants included wheat and barley species, but legumes (primarily lentils and peas) appear to have been preferred cultigens. Wild plants also were consumed. The determination of domesticated animals, sensu stricto,

Zarqa River - Misplaced Pages Continue

1696-484: The front part of the animal is the most clearly modeled. They all give the impression of dynamic force. Some of the animal figures have been stabbed in their vital parts; these figures have then been buried in the houses. Other figurines were burned and then discarded with the rest of the fire. They built ritual buildings and used large figurines or statues. The actual building of them is also a way for an elite group to demonstrate and underline its authority over those who owe

1749-401: The general PPNB populations and in most Natufians. Haplogroup T1a (T-M70) has also been found among the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B inhabitants from Ayn Ghazal, and is currently the oldest known sample ever found at any ancient site. This second haplotype marker wasn't found among the early Levant epipaleolithic populations. It is thought therefore, based on uniparental and autosomal data, that

1802-518: The lake area include the little bittern , cattle egrets , grey herons , white storks , common teal and Eurasian coot . The lake's waters sustain fish, some of which are indigenous species and some are introduced species. The most common are tilapia . Migratory birds also winter in the man-made pools which make up the Kherbit Al-Samra Sewage Treatment Plant, located in a broad depression close to Wadi Dhulayl,

1855-580: The main tributary of the Zarqa River. As many as 6,000 white storks have been spotted roosting there. Mammals found in the area include the common otter ( Lutra lutra ), and the Persian squirrel ( Sciurus anomalus ). The otter is considered a threatened species. The Zarqa valley was an important passageway connecting the Eastern Desert with the Jordan Valley. 'Ain Ghazal , the origin of

1908-403: The mandible, and apparently following preliminary primary interments of the complete corpse. Such treatment has commonly been interpreted as representing rituals connected with veneration of the dead or some form of "ancestor worship". There is evidence of class in the way the dead were treated. Some people were buried in the floors of their houses. After the flesh had wasted away, often the head

1961-514: The meeting of Jacob and Esau , and with the struggle of Jacob with the angel . It was the boundary separating the territory of Reuben and Gad from that of Ammon , the latter being described as lying along the Jabbok. The territory of Sihon is described as extending "from Arnon unto Jabbok" ( Numbers 21:24 ), and it was reclaimed later by the King of Ammon. Eusebius places the river between Gerasa and Philadelphia . Bible scholars have noticed

2014-476: The outside, and with lime plaster inside that was renewed every few years. Evidence recovered from the excavations suggests that much of the surrounding countryside was forested and offered the inhabitants a wide variety of economic resources. Arable land is plentiful within the site's immediate environs. These variables are atypical of many major Neolithic sites in the Near East, several of which are located in marginal environments. Yet despite its apparent richness,

2067-410: The population of contemporary Jericho ). After 6500 BC, however, the population dropped sharply to about one sixth within only a few generations, probably due to environmental degradation , the 8.2 kilo-year event (Köhler-Rollefson 1992). It is situated in a relatively rich environmental setting immediately adjacent to the Zarqa River (Wadi Zarqa), the longest drainage system in highland Jordan. It

2120-460: The prehistoric Tethys Sea , which used to cover the area running roughly east–west, halfway across the present Dead Sea . Along the Zarqa, crystalline limestone alternating with shale was found. The next layer is a 20-30 meter high layer of gypsum , argillaceous marly lime, shales and iron-rich stone and sandstone . This layer is rich in fossils . Archaeological finds of charcoaled remains indicate that poplar and tamarix used to grow along

2173-515: The rainy winter months. This makes it the second largest tributary of the lower Jordan River, after the Yarmouk River, and the third largest river in the region by annual discharge. Irregular floods after rain storms may increase the flow to as much as 54 million cubic meters. The median annual flow is 63.3 million cubic meters. The total basin area is 3,900 km (1,500 sq mi) the largest in Jordan. A small dam, Al-Rwyha dam, near

Zarqa River - Misplaced Pages Continue

2226-408: The remains. Ayn Ghazal is renowned for a set of anthropomorphic statues found buried in pits in the vicinity of some special buildings that may have had ritual functions. These statues are half-size human figures modeled in white plaster around a core of bundled twigs. The figures have painted clothes, hair, and in some cases, ornamental tattoos or body paint. The eyes are created using plaster with

2279-511: The river banks are mostly steep and canyon-like. Near Ain Ghazal, two tributary wadis join the river, and it opens up into a shallow basin. It forms the border between the Jordanian administrative regions of Irbid and Balqa Governorate . The river is perennial, but with a very low base flow of about 2 million to 3 million cubic meters per month during the summer months, and as much as 5–million to 8 million cubic meters per month during

2332-530: The river's banks. Tulips grow on many hillsides of the river, while in the springs area and the watercourse, water vegetation is found. Natural pine forests grow in the King Talal Dam area. Along the upstream banks, where the river runs wild, one finds the common reed , oleander and Typha species. Since the waters of the Zarqa are highly contaminated, with high levels of organic matter and various chemical compounds (especially detergents and dyes),

2385-432: The social fabric – new diseases, more people to feed from what was planted and more animals that needed grazing. There are evidences of mining activities as part of a production sequence conducted by craftsmen at the site of Ayn Ghazal, these potential part-time specialists in some way controlled access to such raw materials. Y-DNA haplogroups such as E1b1b1b2 (E-Z830) has been found in remains at Ayn Ghazal, along with

2438-424: The spring the feeds the Zarqa river, is a major archaeological site, dating back to the Neolithic period. It was continuously occupied for more than two thousand years, and the earliest finds date to 7200 BCE. 'Ain Ghazal is one of the earliest known human settlements with evidence of domesticated animals. With a population of around 3,000 at its height, it was also one of the largest prehistoric population centers in

2491-429: The use of Zarqa water for irrigation has significantly altered the biodiversity of the natural flora, and caused the disappearance of the majority of fresh water species. In prehistoric times, the area was rich with fauna, and 45 distinct animal species have been identified, half of them wild animals. Domesticated goats were the most common, and gazelles were the most frequently occurring wild animal species. Today,

2544-410: The village of Dayr Alla, marks the end of the upstream portion of the river, where it is natural and fast-flowing with very clear water. There is very little agriculture along the banks of the river in this region, which are very rocky. Downstream from this dam, the water level is very low, and the river banks are intensively used for agriculture, as well as grazing by sheep and goats The King Talal Dam

2597-468: The village, and herded domesticated goats. In addition, they hunted wild animals – deer, gazelle, equids , pigs and smaller mammals such as fox or hare. The estimated population of the MPPNB site from Ayn Ghazal is of 259–1349 individuals with an area of 3.01–4.7 ha. It is argued that at its founding at the commencement of the MPPNB Ayn Ghazal was likely about 2 ha in size and grew to 5 ha by

2650-533: Was begun, a project that was completed in 1988. The dam is named after king Talal of Jordan . The main purpose of the dam is to store winter rains and treated wastewater from Amman and Zarqa treated in the As Samra plant for irrigation in the Jordan Valley . The dam irrigates about 17,000 hectares and supports the livelihood of 120,000 people. This article about a building or structure in Jordan

2703-485: Was built across the lower Zarqa in 1970, and created a reservoir with a capacity of 55 million cubic meters, and increased in 1987 to 86 million cubic meters. When built, it was expected that the reservoir would supply water for municipal use in the Amman region. However, the current levels of pollution in the lake make the water unfit for human consumption, and it is used for irrigation only. The new Jerash Bridge crosses

SECTION 50

#1732764962536

2756-619: Was in an area that was suitable for agriculture. Archaeologists think that throughout the mid east much of the land was exhausted after some 700 years of planting and so became unsuitable for agriculture. The people from those small villages abandoned their unproductive fields and migrated, with their domestic animals, to places with better ecological conditions, like Ayn Ghazal that could support larger populations. As opposed to other sites as new people migrated to Ayn Ghazal, probably with few possessions and possibly starving, class distinctions began to develop. The influx of new people placed stresses on

2809-431: Was later retrieved and the skull buried in a separate shallow pit beneath the house floor, and some of the skulls were decorated. This could have been either a form of respect or so that they could impart their power to the house and the people in it. However, some people were thrown on trash heaps and their bodies remain intact, indicating that not every deceased was ceremoniously put to rest. Scholars have estimated that

#535464