The Levant in transition : proceedings of a conference held at the British Museum on 20-21 April 2004

The latter part of the 3rd millennium BC witnessed severe dislocations in the social, economic and political structures of the lands at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea - the Levant. In the south, in what is now Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Jordan, hitherto thriving urban centres disappeared, to be replaced for several centuries by smaller agricultural and pastoral settlements, with an apparently increasingly large semi-nomadic or nomadic element in the population.In the north - modern Syria - life in many of the earlier towns was also disrupted, but there does not seem to have been such a major break in urban traditions, and the new towns which soon replaced the old were to rise to unprecedented heights of prosperity and cultural achievement well before the end of the millennium.The causes of these different but related historical developments - including possible environmental changes, military activity, and ethnic movements - have long enthralled archaeologists and ancient historians. This volume contains the papers given at a conference held in 2004 at the British Museum, presenting both new evidence and new theories bearing on this transitional period. Edited by Peter J. Parr, it contains contributions by Daniele Morandi Bonacossi, Rupert Chapman III, Karen Covello-Paran, Claude Doumet-Serha, Ram Gophna, Moti Haiman, Moshe Kochavi, Jessie C. Long Jr., Minna Lonnqvist, Peter J. Parr, Francis Pinnock, Kay Prag, Suzanne Richard, R.Thomas Schaub, and Jonathan N.Tubb. CONTENTS Preface JONATHAN N. TUBB (BRITISH MUSEUM, UK) Early Bronze III and IV: Chronological and Cultural Relations RUPERT L. CHAPMAN III (BRITISH MUSEUM, UK) Socio-Economic Aspects of an Intermediate Bronze Age Village in the Jezreel Valley KAREN COVELLO-PARAN (ISRAEL ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY, ISRAEL) The Northern Levant at the End of the Early Bronze Age: The Evidence from Sidon CLAUDE DOUMET-SERHAL (UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON, UK) A Short-Lived Settlement System and a Lengthy Period: The Intermediate Bronze Age (‘EB IV’) on the Coastal Plain of Israel RAM GOPHNA (TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY, ISRAEL) Copper Trade and Pastoralism in the Negev and Sinai Deserts in the EB IV MOTI HAIMAN (ISRAEL ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY, ISRAEL) The Intermediate Bronze Age (IBA) in the Negev, Forty Years Later MOSHE KOCHAVI† (TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY, ISRAEL) Jebel Bishri in Syria and the Role of Nomadism in the End of the Early Bronze Age MINNA LÖNNQVIST (UNIVERSITY OF OULU, FINLAND) Tell Mishrifeh and its Region During the EBA IV and the EBA–MBA Transition. A First Assessment DANIELE MORANDI BONACOSSI (UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI UDINE, ITALY) EB IVB–MBI in Northern Syria: Crisis and Change of a Mature Urban Civilisation FRANCES PINNOCK (UNIVERSITY OF ROME, ITALY) The Late Third Millennium in the Levant: A Reappraisal of the North–South Divide KAY PRAG (UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER, UK) Khirbet Iskander, Jordan and Early Bronze IV Studies: A View from a Tell SUZANNE RICHARD (GANNON UNIVERSITY, USA) AND JESSE C. LONG, JR. (LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY, USA) The Southern Ghors and the Kerak Plateau in EB IV R. THOMAS SCHAUB (INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, USA) Aliens in the Levant JONATHAN N. TUBB (BRITISH MUSEUM, UK) Afterword PETER J. PARR (UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON, UK) Preface / Jonathan N. Tubb -- Early Bronze Iii And Iv : Chronological And Cultural Relations / Rupert L. Chapman Iii -- Socio-economic Aspects Of An Intermediate Bronze Age Village In The Jezreel Valley / Karen Covello-paran -- Northern Levant At The End Of The Early Bronze Age : The Evidence From Sidon / Claude Doumet-serhal -- Short-lived Settlement System And A Lengthy Period : The Intermediate Bronze Age ('eb Iv') On The Coastal Plain Of Israel / Ram Gophna -- Copper Trade And Pastoralism In The Negev And Sinai Deserts In The Eb Iv / Moti Haiman -- Intermediate Bronze Age (iba) In The Negev, Forty Years Later / Moshe Kochavi -- Jebel Bishri In Syria And The Role Of Nomadism In The End Of The Early Bronze Age / Minna Lönnqvist -- Tell Mishrifeh And Its Region During The Eba Iv And The Eba-mba Transition : A First Assessment / Daniele Morandi Bonacossi -- Eb Ivb-mbi In Northern Syria : Crisis And Change Of A Mature Urban Civilisation / Frances Pinnock -- Late Third Millennium In The Levant : A Reappraisal Of The North-south Divide / Kay Prag -- Khirbet Iskander, Jordan And Early Bronze Iv Studies : A View From A Tell / Suzanne Richard And Jesse C. Long, Jr. -- Southern Ghors And The Kerak Plateau In Eb Iv / R. Thomas Schaub -- Aliens In The Levant / Jonathan N. Tubb -- Afterword / Peter J. Parr. Editor, Peter J. Parr. Includes Bibliographical References.