Early Bronze Age Architecture in Area L

Area L was opened west of the palace and north of the 'Ein Shefa spring in order to find Middle Bronze (MB) Age nonpalatial, residential architecture. Instead, Early Bronze (EB) Age deposits and evidence of a mb cemetery were discovered. The eb deposits consist of small stone features with minimum construction which may represent walls or storage containers. West of the excavated squares, Tomb 8050 and additional mb mortuary evidence was uncovered, built directly on top of several eb walls. Two additional eb walls were also discovered in the area. The widespread, consistent discovery of eb walls underlying a larger area suggests the possibility of a settlement functioning as a village society, dated to the late EB I or EB II.