Attribute Studies of Points, Perforators, Knives, and Lithic Caches from Ayn Ab$\bar{u}$ Nukhayla
This is an in-depth study of two distinct tool types recovered from the Early Neolithic site of Ayn Abu Nukhayla, located in southern Jordan. This occupation dates to 9,500 to 7,500 BP in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B and is comprised of regionally varied settlements reflecting a range of economic adaptations. The two tool types of concern are Nahal Hemar Knives (so named for their resemblance to a similar tool found in the Israeli site of Nahal Hemar Cave) and Nukhayla perforators. The analyses focus on creating an overall description of the tool assemblages themselves while also attempting to identify changes in tool morphology through space and time. The tools are compared with similar types from across the Neolithic Levant in an attempt to draw comparisons between the assemblages found at Ayn Abu Nykhayla and other sites from the same period.