Exploring the dimensions of Chalcolithic settlements in the southern Levant - A geomagnetic survey on Tel Tsaf, Israel

The actual size and internal structure and layout of prehistoric settlements during the periods of rising social complexity have only been scarcely researched. New tools and research strategies enable to extract data that previously necessitated long-term excavation. A geomagnetic survey at the Middle Chalcolithic site of Tel Tsaf in the central Jordan valley resulted in an unexpected large size of the settlement, a high number of possible structures for storage as well as numerous signals outside the settlement mound itself. This paper presents the data and gives a first interpretation based on analogies from excavated contexts.