First chronometric results for "works of the old men": late prehistoric "wheels" near Wisad Pools, Black Desert, Jordan

• Autores: Gary O. Rollefson, Constantin D. Athanassas, Yorke M. Rowan, Alexander M.R. Wasse
• Localización: Antiquity, ISSN 0003-598X, Vol. 90, Nº 352, 2016, págs. 939-952
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating has provided the first absolute dates for the prehistoric stone arrangements known as �wheels�, found in Jordan's Black Desert region. These sub-circular enclosures are one form of a series of enigmatic structures known as �works of the old men�. Over 1000 �wheels� have been identified in the basalt fields of eastern Jordan and Syria, but their original purpose is unclear. They are divided into irregular sections, and often contain a number of burial cairns. OSL analysis has been carried out on samples from two wheels in the Wisad region: one dated broadly to the Late Neolithic period, and the second to the Late Chalcolithic�Early Bronze Age transition.