Paleolithic exploitation of scarce chert sources in the sandstone canyons of the Hisma Basin, southern Jordan

Archaeological studies of lithic raw materials have provided key insights into how prehistoric hunter-gatherers adapted to their landscapes. In the Levant, researchers have often examined the distribution and variability of chert to reconstruct its procurement and transport for lithic production. This study focuses on the Hisma Basin in southern Jordan, where chert exposures are limited, with the aim of clarifying the availability of local chert sources and assessing their role in the lithic raw material use by Paleolithic foragers. We surveyed chert sources in the Hisma Basin, examined the variability of chert using macroscopic attributes and petrographic microfossil observations, and compared artifacts from these sources with Paleolithic assemblages from local rockshelters. Cost-surface analyses were also performed to estimate travel costs between sites and sources. We identified small, isolated chert sources within limestone outcrops and conglomerate deposits in the northwestern Hisma Basin. Chert samples from these sources exhibit macroscopic and petrographic features resembling archaeological artifacts from the same area. The presence of Paleolithic artifacts at the sources further indicates their use. Cores from nearby rockshelter sites tend to be more intensively reduced and display cortex types consistent with those of local sources. Cost-surface analyses demonstrate that these sources lowered the travel costs of chert procurement in some parts of the basin. Accurate and precise knowledge of chert availability helps illustrate both synchronic variability and diachronic changes in chert procurement strategies, providing a basis for understanding cultural-ecological adaptation and its evolution within the landscape.