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Chapter 6: Neolithic 4 (Page 444-446)

OTHER HEAVY NEOLITHIC SITES BEKAA

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I will now describe the other Heavy Neolithic sites in the Bekaa proceeding from north to south. There are several uncertain occurrences in the northern and central Bekaa but the first certain one is Nabi Zair. This is on the left side of the road from Beirut to Damascus 1.5 kilometres north-west of Anjar. Bergy found a great many Heavy Neolithic flints distributed over a wide area. On the other side of the Bekaa a little north-north-east of Amuq beside the road to Chtaura lies Tell Khardane. Some Heavy Neolithic flints were found here in fields beside the tell which included picks and scrapers as well as blades and flakes. Several artifacts have been made by the Levallois technique.

There is another extensive site on the eastern side of the Bekaa. Mejdel Anjar I, 1.5 kilometres north-west of the village of Mejdel Anjar. Bergy found very many flints here of several periods. The Heavy Neolithic assemblage consisted of axes and chisels with cores and other waste. 3 kilometres south-west of Mejdel Anjar is the site of Dakoue, 700 metres north-west of the village of the same name. Some Heavy Neolithic axes, adzes and much waster were found here as well as a great deal of Palaeolithic material.

18 kilometres south-west of Chtaura at the foot of the Jebel Baruk is the site of Kefraya. The site is very large, extending for about 1 kilometre along both sides of the road to Machgara. The flint tools collected here by several workers consisted of adzes, axes, side-scrapers and end-scrapers on flakes, knives and a segmented sickle blade. The most remarkable feature of the site however was the great abundance of Levallois cores and waste flakes all over the surface.

Tell Zenoub is 4 kilometres north of Jub Jannine. The tell itself was occupied in later periods but Heavy Neolithic flints have been found in fields to the south. 4.5 kilometres north-north-east of Jub Jannine and 2 kilometres north-east of the village of Kamed Loz is the site of Kamed Loz I. The Heavy Neolithic flints collected here consisted of axes, picks, scrapers and much waste mixed with Palaeolithic material. Bustan Birke is in the same part of the Bekaa 2.5 kilometres south-east of Kefraya. This site is also quite extensive and has yielded disc choppers, picks and scrapers as well as cores, flakes and other waste. Jub Jannine III is another Heavy Neolithic site in this area 1.5 kilometres south of the village of Jub Jannine. Many flake scrapers were found here and also numerous flakes, blades and other waste.

Amlaq Qatih is 2.5 kilometres north-west of Baaloul near the east bank of the Litani. Some Heavy Neolithic flints were found here as well as Palaeolithic material.

Kafr Tibnit is much further south in the Litani bend. Some Heavy Neolithic flints were found here as well as other material. Tayibe is 2 kilometres south of the Litani bend and this site also has yielded Heavy Neolithic material.

Taireh II is 2 kilometres north-east of the village of the same name a little to the south-west of Bint Jbail. Flints of Heavy Neolithic types were found on the site. Khallet Michte I and II are 1.5 and 1.2 kilometres north-east of Ain Ebel. Fleisch found Heavy Neolithic flints at both sites as well as Acheulian material. 1.25 kilometres south of Ain Ebel is Khallet Hamra found by Bovier Lapierre during his explorations in the area. A considerable number of Heavy Neolithic flints was collected here with some Acheulian artifacts. The last site in this group is Douwara 2 kilometres south-west of Ain Ebel. Fleisch found the site which was covered with much Heavy Neolithic waste and large tools such as axes, adzes and picks together with some Chalcolithic material ...

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