The role of hunting in Pre-Pottery Neolithic pastoralism and its ecological implications: the Basta example (Jordan)

Excavations at Late PPNB Basta (near Petra, Jordan) have yielded a large amount of animal remains mainly from domesticated sheep and goats. It is discussed in how far the hunting of gazelles, equids, cervids and other wild ungulates still played a crucial role in the life of the pastoralists, inhabiting Basta 9000 years ago. The possible impact of these activities on the fauna in the Greater Petra region is discussed. In addition, the paper focusses on those factors that might influence the reliability of ecological and economical considerations, ascertained from the osteological data presented here.