Historic Management of the Dynamic Landscape in the Surroundings of Petra, Jordan.

Terracing and the construction of a flood control system in Petra has allowed a unique opportunity to examine landscape conditions and changes beginning with the Late Iron Age. The study area is the Hremiyyeh catchment that flows into the core of the archaeological city of Petra and therefore constitutes an important key to understanding the human settlement of the area. The location was chosen as a focal point for intensive investigation and the study of human response to environmental change. This study involved careful documentation of the topography, geology, and archaeology of the site. In addition, samples were taken for the dating of terrace construction and changes in the landscape. The study indicates that the hydrological interventions began in the Late Iron Age, and intensified during the Nabataean and Early Roman periods. At the time, some of the drainage areas were already deeply gullied, while other parts had recently accumulated sediments. The lower terraces became filled with water-logged sediments, leading to the deposition of carbonates. The upper terraces changed the drainage pattern and deposition of the sediments. The sediments trapped there seem to have been less waterlogged. The abandonment of the system at the end of the Byzantine to Early Islamic periods led to partial collapses, gullying, and bedrock downcutting. Due to soil accumulation, the upper terraces were restored and enhanced with new ones around the 11th. Century CE, probably due to partial reclamation of the area by nomadic settlers, with charred botanical evidence found indicating the burning of wild vegetation in favor of domesticated cereal and legumes, with relatively humid conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]