Bouqaia
Encyclopedia
Bouqaia is a basin in the Homs
Gap, Syria
, at the foot of the Marmarita hills.
The geography
and geomorphology
of this alluvial filled, tectonic depression has been explored as part of a wider investigation of the area by various research bodies. The foci of this study has been archaeological and palaeoenvironmental evolution of the central Levant region. The survey project commenced in 2004 as a partnership of the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory
, Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums in Syria, the Mila and Fontanals Institution of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (Barcelona
) and the International Institute for Prehistoric Research in the University of Cantabria
(Santander
). Scientific direction was carried out jointly by Dr. Michel Al-Maqdisi (Directorate of Antiquities and Museums of Syria), Dr. aya Haïdar Boustani (Museum Lebanese Prehistory, LSU) and Dr. Juan José Ibañez (Mila and Fontanals Institution). Studies of the late pleistocene
and early holocene
sedimentary record of the besin has defined a stratigraphical framework for further studies of the area. Studies of the sedimentary sequences suggests an aridification phase with seasonal precipitation patterns increasing and reducing total precipitation. Using further archaeological information from the area has shown how palaeoenvironmental changes have contributed to differing settlement strategies in the study area.
Neolithic
or possibly PPNB archaeological site of Tell Marj
is located on top of a hill dominating the Bouqaia, in the central-western area of the basin, Tell Ezou
is further east.
Homs
Homs , previously known as Emesa , is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is above sea level and is located north of Damascus...
Gap, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, at the foot of the Marmarita hills.
The geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
and geomorphology
Geomorphology
Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them...
of this alluvial filled, tectonic depression has been explored as part of a wider investigation of the area by various research bodies. The foci of this study has been archaeological and palaeoenvironmental evolution of the central Levant region. The survey project commenced in 2004 as a partnership of the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory
Museum of Lebanese Prehistory
The Museum of Lebanese Prehistory is a museum of prehistory and archaeology in Beirut, Lebanon.-History:...
, Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums in Syria, the Mila and Fontanals Institution of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
) and the International Institute for Prehistoric Research in the University of Cantabria
University of Cantabria
University of Cantabria , in Spanish Universidad de Cantabria, is a public university located in Santander and Torrelavega in Cantabria, Spain. It was founded in 1972 and is organized in 12 schools and colleges....
(Santander
Santander, Cantabria
The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
). Scientific direction was carried out jointly by Dr. Michel Al-Maqdisi (Directorate of Antiquities and Museums of Syria), Dr. aya Haïdar Boustani (Museum Lebanese Prehistory, LSU) and Dr. Juan José Ibañez (Mila and Fontanals Institution). Studies of the late pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
and early holocene
Holocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
sedimentary record of the besin has defined a stratigraphical framework for further studies of the area. Studies of the sedimentary sequences suggests an aridification phase with seasonal precipitation patterns increasing and reducing total precipitation. Using further archaeological information from the area has shown how palaeoenvironmental changes have contributed to differing settlement strategies in the study area.
Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
or possibly PPNB archaeological site of Tell Marj
Tell Marj
Tell al-Marj is a prehistoric, Neolithic Tell, about in size, located between Krak des Chevaliers and Homs, near the village of Tell es Safa in Syria.-Excavations:...
is located on top of a hill dominating the Bouqaia, in the central-western area of the basin, Tell Ezou
Tell Ezou
Tell Ezou is a prehistoric, Neolithic tell, about in size, located between Krak des Chevaliers and Homs, in Syria.-Discovery and survey:The site was discovered in 2004 through finds of bronze age and neolithic materials and three megalithic monuments as part of a survey by a combined project that...
is further east.