The present study reconstructs vegetation change and human–environment interactions from the Transitional Pre-Pottery Neolithic A/B (8895–8415 cal bce) to the Early Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (8465–8210 cal bce) at the Kharaysin archaeological site (Zarqa, Jordan). For the first time at this site, integrated pollen, wood charcoal and phytolith analyses have been carried out in combination with a detailed archaeostratigraphic and Bayesian-modelled chronological framework. The results obtained suggest the presence of open steppe–forest communities dominated by Quercus ithaburensis-type–Pistacia near the archaeological site, as well as riparian woodlands used for structural purposes and for firewood. Furthermore, herbaceous communities have been identified, which include grazing-resistant and nitrophilous taxa, as well as steppe herb elements, suggesting likely agropastoral impacts. Conversely, the low but continuous presence of Fabaceae and Cerealia-type pollen, as evidenced by phytolith data, could indicate their small-scale local exploitation and processing but also their role as part of the herbaceous component of an increasingly open landscape. These findings imply that sedentary societies brought about a moderate yet sustained long-term transformation of the plant landscape, favoured by a regionally stable climate background.
Mateos-Cabero et al. (Sat,) studied this question.