Kataret es-Samra, Jordan : The 1985 Excavation and Survey

Presents the results of a programme of survey and excavation conducted under the directorship of the author at the site of Kataret es-Samra, strategically located at the interface of the ghor and the zor of the Eastern Jordan Valley, to the north of the confluence of the Wadi Zarqa (Biblical Jabbok). It reports on the excavation of a Middle Bronze/Late Bronze (MB/LB) Age tomb that contained eleven interments strengthening the argument, suggested by earlier salvage work at the site, that this is part of an extensive cemetery. Material recovered from both survey and soundings on neighbouring "Tell" Kataret es-Samra suggest that it was most probably the home of those who were buried in the tomb. Examination of the faunal remains by Priscilla Lange suggest that the settlement at Kataret es-Samra was based primarily on a pastoral economy. Study of the pottery and other material culture from both tomb and tell has been brought up-to-date and incorporated through the contributions of Teresa Burge and Peter Fischer, emphasizing comparanda (materials for comparison) from Transjordanian sites excavated since 1985, when the Kataret es-Samra field work was completed.