ABSTRACT
Stone vessel consumption varied across the Levant, depending on proximity to production and distribution centres, access to internal and external trade networks, the comparative wealth of individual communities and local preferences. This chapter examines these patterns on a site by site basis, with sites arranged according to regional topography to demonstrate the distinct patterning in the archaeological evidence. It discusses the general trends across the region and their underlying causes. Understanding the distribution patterns of stone vessels in the Levant has been partly limited by the uneven nature of exploration, excavation and publication across this area. One notable pattern is that luxury stone vessels are comparatively scarce in Palaces I-II, despite their popularity in contemporary town deposits. Tell el-’Ajjul was the chief distribution point for the imports entering Palestine and ese goods were more readily available to the local population than at sites further down the trade line.
