Salibiya XII and Fazael VI: Two Natufian Sites in the Lower Jordan Valley within Their Contexts

This paper presents the results of brief salvage investigations of two Early Natufian occupations on the western side of the Lower Jordan Valley. Both sites were located adjacent to major water sources at a time when the latest Pleistocene Lake Lisan was shrinking rapidly. This occurred towards the end of the drier Bolling/Allerod and immediately preceding the onset of wetter conditions at the beginning of the Younger Dryas. While Fazael VI was located within the eponymous wadi adjacent to a major spring, Salibiya XII was located within the Rift Valley f loor itself, in close proximity to springs and seeps forming the Salibiya depression marsh and ponds. The extents and depths of both occupations indicate they were significant basecamps, whether permanent or seasonal. These features include the presence of bedrock mortars, high chipped stone artifact densities, characteristic ground stone tool assemblages (especially notable are the capstones), and artistic or symbolic items. The absence of architectural remains likely relates to the limited nature of the investigations. Faunal remains, especially the relatively abundant and heterogeneous avifauna from Fazael VI, indicate that the majority are present in the region only during the cooler months.