i 238 GERATY, HERR, AND LABIANCA ! The Northern Terrace: Field C'4 Five of the six squares in Field C were completed in 1984 (see Plate 16). In many of the earth layers, Middle Bronze Age pottery had been found, but none of it associated with in-situ remains. All debris above the Early Bronze Age levels had been disturbed during the late Iron II period. But the uncompleted square (8L82) had reached undisturbed Middle Bronze Age levels (see Plate 17). Because the random surface survey of 1984 produced significant numbers of Middle Bronze Age sherds from this area, it was decided to complete excavation of Field C in order to examine this period of occupation, a time when the rest of the region was experiencing a distinctive lack of settlement. As in the rest of the squares in Field C, EB III remains were found above bedrock and included fragments of walls that remained one course high. Isolated pockets of ash above the surfaces sug- gested burning activities associated with the final occupation, but the remains were not extensive enough to suggest destruction. No EB IV remains were uncovered. Above the EB III remains were two phases of fragmentary Middle Bronze Age walls and surfaces, in one of which a small sherd of punctured Tell el-Yahudiyeh ware was discovered. Domes- tic Middle Bronze II pottery and objects were found, including a complete bronze needle, and an obsidian fragment that suggested trade with Anatolia. While central Transjordan was in general abatement during this period, Tell el-`Umeiri was a significant exception, seemingly pros- pering with extensive trade and fine domestic tools. Too little was excavated to be able to describe in detail the economic state of the settlement at this time, but it seems to have been a major city, isolated and apparently lacking a rural support system. Much more work on this exception to the above hypothesis needs to be done in the future. The walls and surfaces on the Middle Bronze terrace were trun- cated in the north by a substantial terrace wall built in two parts. The first section, in the west, contained pottery from the end of the Late 'a Bronze Age, while the second, in the east, produced early Iron I sherds. No other remains were found, suggesting that the northern slope was now, extramural. Although the strong abatement processes reflected in the region around `Umeiri were thus again not in ~` '4FieId Supervisor for Field C. the Northern Slop-, was James Battrnfield, assisted by Square Supervisor Taleh Smadi and volunteers Linda Pau,tian and Sandra S111101. I i (' SECOND SEASON AT TELL EL-`UMEIRI 239 f ..; . Plate 16. Aerial view of Field C. ' k r Plate 17. Early and Middle Bronze Age remains in Field C. i i w Plate 18. Aerial view of Field I). f SECOND SEASON AT TELL EL- -UMEIRI 241 1 Plate 19. EB III domestic complex in Field D. evidence for the Late Bronze period, the settlement appears to have declined in size. Although the data base is small, the information t suggests no radical change or destruction between the Late Bronze and Iron I settlement, but rather only the extension of a terrace wall. The Lower Southern Terrace: Field D 15 The 1984 excavations on the lower southern terrace uncovered l two fragmentary phases from the EB IV period which yielded information regarding the abatement process of Cycle 1. The field x was expanded in 1987 to intercept potentially better-preserved re- mains beneath what appeared to be deeper debris to the north (see Plate 18). Instead, four phases of an EB III domestic complex were found north of a terrace wall uncovered in 1984, but whose func- tion had not been known prior to 1987. No EB IV remains appeared in Field D in 1987. There is thus new information regarding only the height of the intensification process during Cycle 1. The EB III domestic complex was built on a bedrock terrace that seems to have been carved back in places (see Plate 19). All ''Field Supervisor For Field D, the Lower Southern Terrace, was Michele Daviau, assisted by Square Supervisors Timothy Harrison, George McCoui t. Marilyn Muriay, and Katrina Rounsefell: volunteers included Wallace Amundson. Bonnie Battenfield. Randall Clark, L.vnda DuPreez, Ron DuPreez, John Giddings, Carla Jones. Zlatko ° Kanacki, Kimberly Murray, Warren Ruf, Lynn Smith, and Charles Urquhart_ 242 GERATY, HERR, AND LABIANCA four phases of the complex reused the Major walls, constructing t and dismantling other minor walls as house plans changed. At least two of the rooms were long rooms, with doors through their T short sides. No benches were found, but plaster with reed Impres- sions from roof and or wall coating was found in a yellow matrix 1 that was probably the earth topping of the roof. In one room, eleven thin surfaces had been laid one on top of the other, indicat- ing constant occupation and reuse of the area. The surfaces were not compact, suggesting that they had been laid rapidly during s intensive use. Although they were difficult to discern in vertical section, broken ceramic vessels and other objects were frequently found lying on them. The finds associated with these surfaces s reflected common domestic activities, such as food preparation 1- (mortars, grinders, bones from meat animals, and cooking pots), f food storage (a bin built into a wall and many large pithoi with t flaring, thickened rims and rope molding at the base of the neck [one jar contained about 4000 chick peas],), and tool-making (thou- sands of flint flakes and a few tools). Embedded in the surfaces were mortars, sockets, hearths, and pillar bases. One of the surfaces, perhaps a courtyard, was made of thinly laminated plaster. Field D best represented the apex of intensification of Cycle 1, although located on the periphery of the site and thus most likely not representing its most prosperous expression. Still, its archi- tecture and domestic material culture reflected an economic and social order that was organized and reasonably prosperous. Al- though the abatement process for the Early Bronze settlement could not be shown from data collected this season, a comparison of the remains described above with those of the Ell IV phases discovered in 1984 shows that prosperity declined in the following period. The EB IV houses were much smaller, with poorly constructed walls, while the individual housing units were farther removed from each other, reflecting a reduced population density. The abate- ment process had already begun. The Water System: Field F l t' Ever since Tell el-cL'meiri was rediscovered in 1976, it has been assumed that the reason it was occupied-and indeed re- 16Field Supervisor for Field F, the water Systen, was James Battenfield, assisted by Square Supervisors Gums Chef and Bryce Cole: volunteers included Bogu- slav Dabrowski. Jeff Fisher. Jonathan h'ishet, Tracy Wilmott. Kim wilhite, and Nathaniel Yen. SECOND SEASON AT TELL EL-`UMEIRI 243 mained settled throughout the abatement years between Cycles 1 and 2-was the presence of the only spring between Amman and Madaba. The tell itself was not the highest and most easily fortified hill in the region; its views to the north, west, and south were limited by higher hills immediately adjacent. The availability of water thus seems to have overcome strategic weaknesses in the decision regarding where to settle. Even after the site was abandoned, other settlements arose nearby which could still utilize the water source. '' Located at the foot of the northern slope of the site, immedi- ately outside the convergence of the V-shaped walls of the northern suburb, the source is presently dry. Raouf Abujaber, whose family has owned the land on which the water source is located since late Ottoman times, reported that the source had produced water until the 1930s. When it became dry, his family capped the installation with reinforced concrete (see Plate 20). At present, a hole has been opened in the capping by vandals. This hole allowed the excavators to study the interior to a depth of ca. 5 m. Ashlar blocks made up the four walls of a large shaft ca. 2.5 x 3.5 m in size. The bottom was filled with rubble and recent garbage. Two architectural phases could be discerned in the ashlars, with the top two courses being clearly much more recent than the t .. I C A i Plate 20. Aerial view of Field E. I 244 GERATY, HERR, AND LABIANCA lower courses. The top course of the lower phase included the spriligstone of an arch. At the bottom, an arched channel or tunnel led to the west but ended after ca. 1 m. It was decided not to excavate the interior, because fill debris inside a water installation seldom provides evidence either for the construction date or for associated use patterns. Instead, two squares were opened on the western side of the installation in order to examine (1) foundational features of the present structure: (2) any previous structures that may have been preserved; and (3) the in- tensity, quality (architectural features), and chronology of use; as well as (4) the question of whether the source was a spring or a well. The excavations encountered several earth layers which must have been dump debris from periods when the water system was cleaned out. The earliest such material contained secondarily-de- posited EB III low-necked water jars, virtually to the exclusion of other forms. There were also several pockets of dumped debris from episodes of cleaning activity which contained 1026 diagnostic sherds from the late Iron Age II, at least 90% of which were water jars and jugs. Above the late hon II remains were several deposits of dumped cleanup debris which contained almost exclusively early Roman water jars and jugs. It would thus seem that the area was used for water resources, at least through the early Roman period. No significant later remains have been found until comparatively modern times. The Eastern Shelf: Field F 17 During the 1984 random surface survey, the eastern shelf pro- duced the most balanced series of ceramic readings anywhere on the site; that is, pottery quantities from all major periods of settle- ment at the site were represented in more-or-less equal percentages. It thus seemed likely that excavation in 1987 would produce re- mains from these periods without a major disruption and that the living strategies of each settlement could be examined in detail in teiins of the project's overall questions concerning intensification and abatement. There were also surface indications that the southern city wall ended here in a tower. North of the "tower" was a slight "Field Supervisor for Field F, the Ilastt°rn Spelt, w;t.ti Russanne Low, assisted by S