Long-term site formation processes at the natural springs Nadaouiyeh and Hummal in the El Kowm Oasis, Central Syria

The El Kowm oasis in the desert steppe of Central Syria is one of the oldest settlement centers in the Middle East and is significant worldwide for its great density of Paleolithic sites. About 180 open-air sites dating between about one million and 10,000 years ago testify that humans regularly resided at or near the springs. The region represents a unique archive where the long-term cultural history and the development of the landscape can be observed. The sites of Nadaouiyeh and Hummal are the main focus of our research. Geoarchaeological studies on both sites have defined the formation of different sediment types, such as limnic, littoral, and terrestrial deposits. Those sediments provide evidence of eolian processes, but also post-depositional transformations like the precipitation of silica or pedogenesis. Additional archaeological layers give answers concerning the depositional environment, anthropogenic influence, and post-sedimentary changes. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.