ABSTRACT
Working on ancient settlement sites in the 'Plains of Moab', the hinterland of which is the central Jordan region, and which faces across a short distance to the Jericho oasis. The highlands around Jerusalem, provides a perspective on the networks of the broader region which is reflected in the general homogeneity of the cultural and material assemblage through time. Finkelstein notes the popularity of pork consumption in the area of southern Palestine describes as 'Philistine', a pattern matched to a lesser extent in the central plateau of Transjordan. Archaeology is to produce results of value, projects which embrace broader contexts and more complex issues must be pursued without straitjackets, and the full range of evidence assessed before models are created. The patterns of settlement in Transjordan are relevant to the patterns of settlement in Palestine, for these are both small zones, and intimately linked, within a wider geographical context.
