Cultural continuity and asymmetry through the Levantine Early Bronze Age: a view from the desert

Abstract

Over the past few years, a combination of new data and a revised interpretation of old data has led to a ‘new paradigm’ for the history of the southern arid periphery of the southern Levant during the 3rd millennium BCE. It has long been known that copper was fundamental to the local economy of the Faynan district of southern Jordan: the barrenness of the Faynan region created economic asymmetry that has been used to explain changes in local settlement patterns as a response to regional demand for copper. A synthesis of data from sites in the region highlight the absence of external control of copper production and indicate innovative developments to facilitate long distance exchange through the development of a vertically integrated production network.