Lake Elji and a geological perspective on the evolution of Petra, Jordan

The palaeoenvironmental potential of the eastern Jordanian desert basins (Qe'an)

“…This work will add further to recent developments in the understanding of the Quaternary of Jordan (e.g. Abu-Jaber et al, 2020;Al-Saqarat et al, 2020). Importantly these basins provide the opportunity to provide local archives of environmental change to many archaeological sites in the region and can be used with the botanical and faunal evidence from these sites to build comprehensive pictures of the past environments of the Badia.…”

Human dispersals out of Africa via the Levant

“…The chronology of Bir Tirfawi and Bir Sahara in the western desert of Egypt revealed the formation of paleolakes associated with Middle Stone Age tools during most of MIS 5 ( 52 ). In the Jordan desert, the chronology of paleolakes and paleowetlands was indicated at Qa'a Azraq (Qa'a means depression) ( 53 ), Jurf Ed Darawish ( 26 , 32 ), Lake Elji ( 54 ), Qa'a Jafr ( 27 , 55 ), and Qa'a Mudawwara ( 28 ), indicating water resources availability facilitating human arrivals in Arabia either during MIS 5 and/or MIS 3. Our data show an agreement with the timing of the Dead Sea precursors: the last interglacial Lake Samra and the last glacial lake highstands ( Fig.…”

“…( B ) Digital elevation model map of the Levant showing the location of the study areas (yellow stars) along the Jordan Rift Valley (Wadi Gharandal and Gregra) and in the Jordanian Plateau (Wadi Hasa), and the paleolakes and speleothem records in the region. Paleolakes are represented by green circles, namely: Qa'a Azraq ( 53 ), Jurf Ed Darawish ( 26 , 32 ), Lake Elji ( 54 ), Qa'a Jafr ( 27 , 55 ), and Qa'a Mudawwara ( 28 ). Speleothem records in the Levant include Soreq cave (green triangle) ( 44 , 46 ), and the blue squares show sites with human fossils including Skhul and Qafzeh caves ( 5 ).…”