Changing Patterns of Settlement and Land Use in the Hinterland of Pella (Jordan) in Late Antiquity

Abstract

The urban site of Pella in Jordan (modern Tabaqat Fahl) is located in the eastern foothills of the north Jordan Valley (Figure 1). It has been occupied almost continuously from Neolithic times through to the modern era. Over thousands of years the site has fluctuated in size and importance, suffering occasional periods of abandonment. Extensive excavations of the 'city' have been undertaken since the1960s, revealing the sequence and complexity of this enduring occupation. 1 However the setting that nurtured such a centre had only received sporadic attention. Examination of the context of such a site is needed to widen our perspective on urbanprocesses and link them with the socio-economic and demographic systems operating within the general cultural landscape. 2