ABSTRACT

Gilat is one of many sites of the Chalcolithic period on the north-western fringes of the Negev Desert which, because they are situated in a relatively small area and are broadly contemporary, provide a unique opportunity to assess inter-site and diachronic variability on a fine scale. With nearly 7000 identified animal bones Gilat has yielded one of the largest faunal assemblages so far studied for this period in the Middle East.