Qaa القاع El Qaa, Al Qaa | |
|---|---|
  Qaa Location in Lebanon | |
| Coordinates:34°20′37″N36°28′32″E / 34.34361°N 36.47556°E /34.34361; 36.47556 | |
| Country |  Lebanon |
| Governorate | Baalbek-Hermel |
| District | Baalbek |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Mayor | Bachir Matar |
| Area | |
• Total | 4.98 sq mi (12.91 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,156 ft (657 m) |
| Population (2010)[1] | |
• Total | 500 |
| • Density | 2,400/sq mi (930/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | +3 |
 Interactive map of Qaa | |
| Alternative name | El Qaa |
|---|---|
| Location | Beqaa Valley,Lebanon |
| Part of | Type site |
| History | |
| Periods | Shepherd Neolithic |
| Site notes | |
| Archaeologists | M. Billaux,Henri Fleisch |
| Condition | ruins |
| Public access | Yes |
Qaa (Arabic:القاع),El Qaa,Al Qaa, Qaa Baalbek orMasharih al-Qaa is a town inBaalbek-Hermel Governorate,Lebanon.[2] A 2010 report stated that population of the settlement was 500, allLebanese Maronite Christians.
In 1838,Eli Smith noted Qaa's population as being predominantlyCatholic Christian.[3]
On 28 June 1978, unidentified militiamen killed 26 villagers from Qaa and three other villages. The murders were believed to be connected to the killing of 34 people, includingTony Franjieh, on 13 June. The gunmen were reported to have had lists of names from which they selected their victims.[4]
TheSyrian army invadedLebanon at 4 a.m. on 1 September 2012 and kidnapped a farmer from the town as part of escalating incursions during theSyrian civil war. The invasion lasted for 40 minutes before the unit withdrew. A house in Qaa had previously been hit by ashell fired by the Syrian army.[5]
On the 27 June 2016, at leastfive people in Qaa were killed and 13 others wounded in an attack by foursuicide bombers during theSyrian Civil war spillover into Lebanon.[6][7][8]
Along withMaqne I, Qaa is a type site of theShepherd Neolithicindustry. The site is located 5 miles (8 km) north west of the town, north of a path leading from Qaa toHermel. It was discovered by M. Billaux and the materials recovered were documented byHenri Fleisch in 1966.[9] The area was lightly cultivated with a thin soil covering theconglomerates. The flints were divided into three groups of a reddish brown, light brown and one that was mostly chocolate and grey colored with a radiant"desert shine".[2]
The Shepherd Neolithic industry can be defined firstly by being small and thick in size, withflakes commonly ranging from 2.5 to 4 centimetres (0.98 to 1.57 in), the thickness distinguishing them fromgeometricmicroliths. Their second characteristic is the limited number of forms that the tools take, apart from cores being transverseracloirs on small flakes, strong-pointed borers, denticulated or notched thick, short blades and end-scrapers. It was thirdly characterized by a lack of knowntypology, with only occasional use ofLevallois technique. It was determined to be definitely later than theMesolithic but without any usual forms from theUpper Paleolithic orpotteryNeolithic. Henri Fleisch tentatively suggested the industry to beEpipaleolithic and suggested it may have been used bynomadic shepherds.[2] The Shepherd Neolithic has largely been ignored and understudied following the outbreak of theLebanese civil war.
Capital:Baalbek | ||
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