Abstract
Several lines of evidence permit us to characterize ancient Levantine settlements whose modern place names include variations of the Arabic term majdal. It has been suggested for some time that these sites preserve the locations of Bronze and Iron Age watchtowers, though this has not been unequivocally demonstrated. However, textual references to Bronze Age magdaluma, Iron Age migdālim, and Classical magdoloi, when compared against the locations of majādīl, indeed support the identification of these sites as Bronze and Iron Age military observation towers. This fact is further supported by archaeological data available from nearly half of these settlements. The distribution of Arabic majādīl reveals a logical selection of strategic positions within the Levantine landscape for the establishment of towers that served as part of an integrated defensive network related to the major political centers of the Levant, principally during the Middle and Late Bronze Ages.
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