AMMAN — Archaeological discoveries at Wadi Faynan 16 (WF16), one of Jordan’s significant prehistoric settlements in the south of the country, are providing valuable insights into burial practices and daily life during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) period, dating back more than 10,000 years.
Located at the meeting point of Wadi Faynan and Wadi Ghuwayr, just before the landscape rises towards the Jordanian plateau, WF16 is an important archaeological site that sheds light on some of the earliest settled communities in the region. The settlement dates to approximately 11,600–10,200 years before present.
The site was discovered in 1996, when archaeologists identified scattered chipped and ground stone artefacts across the surface of a small hill. Its location is close to other prehistoric settlements, including Ghuwayr 1 and Tell Wadi Faynan, making the area particularly significant for understanding the development of early human communities in southern Jordan.
According to Professor Emman Jenkins of Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom, archaeological investigations conducted between 1997 and 2003 revealed deeply layered deposits, well-preserved animal remains, a diverse collection of artefacts, large structures and numerous burials.
Further excavations between 2008 and 2010 uncovered a dense group of semi-underground buildings constructed with pisé walls, alongside a monumental structure featuring a central trough and embedded grinding stones. The exact purpose of this larger structure remains uncertain.
Researchers believe that the smaller buildings served different functions, including storage and working areas, while archaeological evidence also points to outdoor activity spaces and waste deposits.
More than 40 prehistoric burials discovered
One of the most significant findings at WF16 is the discovery of more than 40 burials believed to date to the PPNA period. The remains include adults, juveniles and infants, offering an opportunity to investigate how early communities treated their dead and organised burial practices.
Professor Jenkins explained that, apart from six later burials dating to the Nabataean-Byzantine periods and one probable Bronze Age burial, the majority of the human remains are associated with the Neolithic settlement.
The excavations also revealed differences in burial locations and preservation. Slightly less than half of the burials were found in the upper layers of the archaeological sequence, where erosion and later disturbance had affected the remains.
Although some bones were poorly preserved, the archaeological evidence indicates that most of the burials share characteristics consistent with the PPNA period, particularly in their burial practices and associated material culture.
Researchers have also distinguished the later Nabataean-Byzantine graves from the Neolithic burials. The later graves featured deeper cuts, distinctive underground side chambers and stone lintel coverings, reflecting fundamentally different burial traditions.
A separate burial is believed to date to the Bronze Age based on pottery fragments found within its burial fill, as pottery was otherwise absent from the Neolithic settlement.
A window into prehistoric life in Jordan
Beyond its burial discoveries, Wadi Faynan 16 offers important evidence about the everyday lives of early communities in southern Jordan.
Archaeologists have recovered substantial quantities of animal bones and plant remains, although detailed analysis of these materials has yet to be completed. Preliminary findings from the earlier investigations suggest that the settlement's inhabitants relied heavily on wild animals and plants for their livelihoods.
The site's stone tools, building remains and radiocarbon dating results further confirm its importance as a settlement belonging to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A period.
The findings contribute to a broader understanding of the transition towards settled communities in the region, including their architecture, subsistence activities, social organisation and approaches to death and burial.
For visitors interested in Jordan's archaeological heritage, Wadi Faynan represents an important destination for exploring the country's prehistoric past. Located in southern Jordan, the wider Faynan region is renowned for its archaeological landscape and offers a fascinating perspective on the area's long history of human settlement.