Human hunting and site occupation intensity in the Early Epipaleolithic of the Jordanian western highlands

We investigate the effects of the Last Glacial Maximum (similar to 25,000-18,500 cal BP) on human hunting and settlement strategies through the study of faunal remains from four Early Epipaleolithic sites located in the western highlands region of Jordan. Human mobility is monitored by reconstructing site occupation intensity using zooarchaeological measures of dietary breadth and prey mortality. Our data reveal light occupation and a mobile human adaptation focused on the hunting of high-ranked adult ungulates and large-bodied tortoises. Despite their mobile strategy, the Early Epipaleolithic inhabitants clearly preferred particular locations on the landscape and reoccupied them repeatedly over time. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.