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CHAPTER I GEOGRAPHICAL NOTE

4. Topography of the Areas Surveyed in Syria

Since our object was the discovery of cave sites, we investigated mainly Jebel Aabd elAaziz (Fig. 6), Palmyra region (Fig. 8), Jebel Maaloula (Fig. 9), and Jebel Ansarieh(Fig. 10) and Jebel ed Drouz (Fig. 11),

Fig.-6 Topographical map of Jebel Aabd el Aaziz

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(a) Jebel Aabd el Aaziz

This is a block mountain between the Euphrates and its tributary, Nahr Khabour, in thenortheastern part of Syria, running in an east-west direction for over 60 km and from 10to 15 km wide. Its geological structure is an anticlinal mountain, continuing from JabalSinjar in the western part of Mosul in Iraq. Its highest peak is 920 m the mountain doesnot undulate much. The main ridge of 700 to 900 m in height is situated in the northern



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part. As is clear from the northsouth direction projected profiles in Fig. 7, the northernslope forms a steep cliff of 350 m height, while its southern slope is gentle, with lessthan 10. The wadis are shallow also, and are not suitable for cave formation. Theobsequent valleys, which erode deeply the steep cliff of the northern slope, penetratedeep into the southern slope with headward erosion. For instance, there are WadiMarhlouja, Wadi Soussa, Wadi el Khazne, Wadi Rhara, Wadi Jaafar, etc., all runningnorth. Due to erosion of the wadis and weathering, the steep cliff recedes withconsiderable speed, and the slope which continues on from the edge of the cliff rangesfrom 20 to 30, and boulders with maximum diameter of 5 m and average diameter of40 cm a cover the bedrock for about a 5 m thickness. The slope below it makes a clearknick point, dipping toward the north with less than 5. The deposits farther away fromthe steep cliff, are finer, and 100 m from the cliff the average diameter ranges between6 to 8 cm. Wadis erode the upper steep slope 5 to 10 m deep, but less in the middlegentle slope. In the lower level, they become a flat surface with less than 2 dip towardthe north, and there are fewer wadis and they become shallower (Ph. 6). However, the

thickness of Pleistocene deposits reaches 75 to 110m near Tell el Rhara, although thedifference in the thickness has nothing to do with the topography. From the above-mentioned reason, our investigation was chiefly on the area along the wadis which cutthe northern slope. Near Cheikh Aabd el Aaziz, Cretaceous clayey limestone, marl, andconglomerate from badland topography, and cave formation is poor. Therefore, weinvestigated chiefly the Eocene organic, compact limestone area, most widelydistributed in the northern part of the mountains. This area, which rises symmetrically,because of the fault system running in an east-west direction, has deep eroded valleys,but cave formation is poor. However, there is a great quantity of flint scattered all overthe slope next to the steep cliff. The investigated area is the summit of Aabd el Aazizmountain ridge in the east, to Wadi Jaafar in the west, covering every wadi and northernslope.



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(b) Palmyra Region

The Palmyrides, which branch out of the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, consist of severalmountains which run in a northeast-southwest direction, as partly shown in Fig. 8 (Ph.8). The altitude of the mountains themselves is 1,000 to 1,300 m and the differences ofaltitude at its foot reach 500 to 700 m. Although there are two paralleling mountainranges near Palmyra, in the rest of the places it is only block mountain and does notform a range. Besides, since this is an inland area, its drainage pattern is not clear, andbase level varies depending upon the location of the mountain block. The center of thisarea is Jebel Abou Rejmeine, 1,350 m high, Jebel el Marah, 1,250 m high, and Jebel el



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Abiad, on which we placed the most emphasis, is 1,100 to 1,150 m high, and all these

mountains are accordant. Geologically, Jurassic, Cretaceous limestone, clay, marl,dolomite which form folds and faults make up Jebel ett Taniyet Sahle, Jebel Haiyane,Jebel Qettar, etc. which constitute the main range of the Palmyrides. Jebel AbouRejmeine, Jebel el Abiad, Jebel ed Douara, etc. are lower than the main ridge, and donot form a clear range system; they consist of Paleogene-Neogene limestone,conglomerate, clay, sandstone, and marl, with some foldings. However, the newlydiscovered sites which we investigated were nothing but small caves and shelters madeof Paleogene limestone. This would naturally depend upon the condition of the areawhere the caves were situated, but it might also indicate that in connection with thequality of rock which forms caves, Paleogene limestone was more suitable in this area.The prehistory of the Palmyra region has been unexplored. It is a wide area, and

therefore we carried on quite detailed investigations around the southern slope of JebelMqeita (Ph. 9) (Ph. 10), Wadi ez Zkara drainage basin, Jebel ed Douara, Wadi elAhmar, and Dahr Rouaissafe Abou Fares. Opportunity was given us also to investigatea few Tells around el Kaum, northeast of Palmyra. Dissected fans with different levelswere frequently found below the steep cliffs of Jebel Mqeita, Wadi ez Zkara, Jebel elDouara, etc., offering an interesting area in which to study the relationship of climaticchange, geomorphic development and prehistorical remains in the Pleistocene.



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(c) Anti-Lebanon Mountains Range

Jebel Maaloula, Jebel Chemal, etc. which branch out of the Anti-Lebanon Mountainsnear Damascus, are called the Palmyrides, and run paralled with the main range up tothe neighbourhood of Nebek. The Anti-Lebanon Mountains are 2,000 to 2,600 m high,Jebel Maaloula 1,800 to 1,900 m high, and Jebel Chemal 1,600 to 1,700 m high. All of



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these mountains are accordant, but farther from the main range, the height drops, andJebel Dmeir at the southeasternmost part is 1,000 to 1,100 m high. As shown in Fig, 9,they form Questa topography (Ph. 12). Every mountain is extremely dissected. But thebase level in the inland drainage basins naturally varies depending upon where it is, sothat even if cave sites arediscovered, it is extremely difficult to determine theirgeological age. Geologically, Cretaceous, Paleogene limestone, marl, dolomite,sandstone, are distributed in belts, just like the mountain range. We investigated Nahr

Barada near Draij along the Wadi el Rih, many eroded valleys on western slope of JebelMaaloula, and Wadis on the northern side of Skifta Valley in Yabroud.

(d) Jebel Ansarieh and Ghab (Coastal Area)

Jebel Ansarieh are mountains which run approximately parallel with the Mediterraneancoast from the border of Turkey, and are separated from the Lebanon Mountains by thedepression of Tripoli-Homs. In this area, too, just as in the case of the LebanonMountains, the main ridge is situated in the easternmost part, and falls sharply to thelowland called Ghab, which intermittently continues from Bekka valley, by a clearsteep cliff. Reflecting the geological structure, the topography gently slopes downtoward the west. The area north of Nahr el Kebir, which flows to the south of Lattakia,consists of Triassic olivinite, peridotite and serpentine, accompanied by intensivefolding and faulting. As shown in Fig. 10, theyfrom 400 to 600 m high mountains. The

mountains in the north of Banias are 1,000 to 1,500 m high, and Jurassic dolomite,limestone, Cretaceous limestone, clay and dolomite form anticlinal ridges. In thedepression between northern Jebel Ansarieh and the mountains consisting of Triassicrocks in the north of Nahr el Kebir, sedimentary rocks of Miocene transgression arefound, and downstream, there are thick Pliocene sediments. The Nahr el Kebir flows inthe middle of a syncline, developing three river terraces in the downstream area.Volcanic activitysouth of Banias caused the flow of basalt during the .Pliocene, so thatthe topographybecome complicated, but as a whole, it dips westward. In the center ofGhab, the Orontes runs north. Because Pliocene basalt flow is dammed up at Jisr ech



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Chorhour, it had become a swamp, but now a drainage arrangement has turned it intoexcellent arable land in recent years. East of Ghab is a part of the undulating Syriandesert. Because of time limitations, we covered this vast area mainly from the carwindow. Nahr el Kandil and Nahr Aarab, Nahr el Kebir (Ph. 11). Nahr el Kich, Nahr elSnoubar, Nahr Hraissoun, Nahr el Qaqi, Nahr Banias, Nahr el Qass, and the westernand eastern walls of Ghab were surveyed. No promising site was discovered, but inview of the condition of the Lebanon coast, and report of VAN LIERE (1964) on Nahr

el Kebir, there is a great possibility that this area will yield prehistoric sites if moredetailed investigations are conducted.

(e) Other Areas

We had intended to investigate Jebel ed Drouz, where Palaeolithic sites have not yetbeen discovered. However, we found out that this mountain was an area where caveformation was extremely poor due to the numerous basalt eruptions between thePleistocene and Holocene. So we conducted only surface collection near Taibe,between Deraa and Bosra. Jebel ed Drouz is as high as 1,800 m, but the valleydevelopment is poor because of the basalt flow. As shown in the projected profiles ofFig. 11, it possesses a knick point at 1,000 to 1,100 m. But the slope below it dipsgently toward the mountains at the border of Jordan, consisting of Eocene limestone,marl and clay. We surveyed only the western slope of the mountains near Bosra-Soueida-Chahba and hardly any cave sites were discovered.


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