Evidence of Destruction at the end of the Early Bronze Age III Period at Khirbet Iskander, Jordan:an archaeobotanical perspective

Summary

The Early Bronze Age site of Khirbet Iskander is located on the central plateau, south of Madaba, Jordan. Excavations at the site have focused primarily on the fortified Early Bronze Age III (EBIII) city remains and the transition to the Early Bronze Age IV (EBIV) agricultural settlement. The well-known and much debated collapse or abandonment of the early cities at the end of the EBIII has been documented at many sites in the Levant and is evident at Khirbet Iskander as well. Excavations of building collapse document the destruction at Khirbet Iskander and large quantities of carbonized food stores that were recovered from EBIII levels support this event. Thousands of barley grains (Hordeum vulgare) and lentils (Lens culinaris), as well as significant quantities of emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum), common pea (Pisum sativum) and chick peas (Cicer arietinum) attest to the agricultural nature of the region and the vital role of storage in early complex societies. This poster documents the archaeobotanical assemblage from Khirbet Iskander in order to gain a better understanding of the implications of the destruction of food resources and the role of the agricultural economy at the end of the EBIII period.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15890