The Early Bronze Age IB Pottery Assemblage from Tel Kitan, Central Jordan Valley

This article deals with the ceramic assemblage of Stratum VII at Tel Kitan, composed mainly of complete vessels found sealed under a thick destruction layer. Such a rich assemblage of complete vessels from an EB IB domestic context bears great significance, as it is unparalleled in the northern regions of the Southern Levant. The series of complete vessels from Stratum VII offers a unique opportunity to clarify the typological scheme and chronological periodization known for the EB I and shed light on aspects of technology and organization of ceramic production. The article aims to examine the EB IB ceramic assemblage in its geographic and chronological context, in comparison to nearby contemporaneous sites. The results of this examination illustrate the local EB IB ceramic production, which reflects on the complex village society in the Central Jordan Valley on the cusp of urban transformation. In our view, the assemblage represents the zenith of EB I ceramic production and hence can be dated to a late phase in the EB IB.