THE STORY:  The Rationale

I arrived in the capital of Yemen, Sana'a on January 18, 2000...about twenty-six long hours after leaving.  So began my introduction to the RASA--Roots of Agriculture in Southern Arabia--archaeological project directed by Dr. Joy McCorriston of Ohio State University.

Members of this year's crew included Joy, Dr. Rick Oches (University of South Florida), Dr. Ken Cole (US Geological Survey/University of Northern Arizona), Dawn, Mike, Steve and myself.

The main goals of this project are to document the settling of prehistoric peoples and to identify the origins and spread of agriculture in the southern Yemen highlands.  Also of interest is the reconstruction of human-environment interactions during a time of fairly rapid climate change.

    BACKGROUND

Between 12,000 B.P. and 9000 B.P. there was a significant increase in upper atmosphere insolation due to a shift in the Earth's tilt.  As a result, climate around the world experienced major environmental changes.  Southern Arabia endured an era of drying possibly as early as 7000 years ago, similar to that documented in the SW US.  However, changes in Yemen were produced by weakening monsoonal winds combined with reduced precipitation, whereas monsoons are thought to have intensified as yearly rainfall diminished in the SW.

The question is then, how did people adjust to an environment of increasing aridity?  Was a change in climate the impetus for settling and farming areas with a reliable water source?  Or did signs of climate change appear after peoples were moving toward a more sedentary way of life?  Already, farming traditions were known from at least three nearby regions--the Levant, East Africa, and South Asia.  Was it possible that ethnic and cultural ties with neighbors and trading partners were adequately strong to influence food-procuring strategies?

The purpose of this field season was to complete a comprehensive site survey of the wadi bottom silts at the juncture of Wadi Shumlee (originally thought to be W. Shumylya) with the larger valley, Wadi Sana.  Wadi Sana drains directly into Wadi Hadhramaut, which lies a few hours by 4-wheel-drive to the north.  We also did a random survey within Wadi Sana and exploratory excavations at two of the sites encountered.  (See Rick's pages--great photos!)

        Projects in Yemen (American Institute for Yemeni Studies site)
        University of Chicago