Ramat Razim, near Zefat: A Middle Bronze Age Rural Site in the Tel hazor Polity

An archaeological excavation carried out at Ramat Razim, near Zefat, exposed a Middle Bronze Age rural settlement, dated by the ceramic assemblage within Middle Bronze Age II–III. Spatial analysis identified communal workspaces and possible domestic cult practices in specific rooms, and the distribution of the ground stone tools and ceramic storage vessels reflected food-processing activities and a decentralized grain-storage approach. In addition to agriculture, pastoralism—specifically sheep rearing—played a significant role in the settlement’s economy, probably engendering economic exchanges under the influence of hazor, the major city in the region. Petrographic analysis linking the pithoi to the hula Valley raised questions about regional economic ties, highlighting a complex, interconnected network during the Middle Bronze Age. These findings illuminate the rural settlement’s role in the hinterland of hazor, and within the hazor polity’s hierarchical structure, providing valuable insights into regional dynamics and control.