Conclusion

The study of settlement patterns on the Karak Plateau leads to limited but important conclusions concerning the Late Bronze Age in that region. This period seems to have been a high point in settlement on the plateau, though why this is the case is unclear. There may have been an Egyptian presence in the region, but the settlement pattern data does not allow definite conclusions about the extent of that presence. Although the number of sites grew in this period, the overall occupation was still rather small, as most of the sites yielded few pieces of pottery. It is likely, therefore, that the area had a few fortified towns, with most of the sites remaining unwalled villages.