Tell Der Alla during the Transition from Late Bronze Age to Iron Age

The excavation results of Tell Der Alla show a remarkable difference concerning the use of space between the last phases of the Late Bronze Age and the first ones of the Iron Age. The focus of this article is on the description of the differences as they appear in the northern area of the site, excavated in the 1960s, and in the southern areas as recently excavated. The description will be followed by an interpretation of possible activities and cultural tradition, and compared to some settlement sites in the nearby region. Subsequently an economic and social interpretation is ventured, partly based on the results of the recent study of the surrounding landscape and its traces of human activities (KAFAFI 2007). The issue of archaeological value of the distinction between phases and periods (Late Bronze Age IA) has to be dealt with as well - within the wider context of the Jordan Valley and beyond.