Zarqa: The archaeological site of Kharaysin in Zarqa Governorate is an ancient settlement that dates back to approximately 10,000 B.C., announced Juan Ramon Muniz, a Spanish archaeologist and lecturer at the University of Salamanca, during a lecture in Amman. According to Jordan News Agency, Muniz, also a member of the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research, presented his findings at the Spanish Cultural Center in Amman in a lecture titled "Kharaysin: A Settlement for Jordan's First Pastoralists and Farmers." The event was attended by dignitaries including the Spanish and Venezuelan ambassadors to Jordan. Muniz described Kharaysin as a substantial pre-Pottery Stone Age site that spans roughly 30 hectares on the foothills linking the portico of Jabal al Mutawwaq to the right bank of the Zarqa River. During the lecture, Muniz elaborated that the site was initially discovered in 1984 and has since been divided into several research and excavation areas by the archaeological mission. He noted that the lower regions of the site have unearthed traces dating back to 10,000 B.C., while findings on the hilltop date to about 6,000 years ago. The site's significance is highlighted by the discovery of numerous graves and relics, particularly "dolmen" or "rock tables," which are types of burial chambers. Some of these chambers contained rooms excavated below ground level, where the deceased were buried along with their personal belongings. Further excavations in 1989 by the Spanish archaeological mission uncovered Stone Age pottery houses at the Kharaysin site. According to Muniz, these findings illustrate a transition from nomadic lifestyles to settled living, with the ancient community relying on food collection and animal husbandry during the Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods. The discoveries at Kharaysin provide valuable insights into the early pastoralist and agricultural communities in Jordan.