Dolmens shaping the urban landscape: the case of Jebel al-Mutawwaq

In the past, Levantine dolmens were often explored and excavated in isolation, with no consideration being given to their connections with nearby contemporary permanent settlements. Jebel al-Mutawwaq, one of the largest and best preserved Early Bronze Age I (EB I) sites in the Transjordanian Highlands, could help clarify the significance of the distribution of these monumental above-ground tombs. Three dolmen fields were found in the area around the settlement: a settlement easily recognizable by its surrounding wall, built sometime between the EB IA and the EB IB phases, c. 3200 BC. Analyses of the topography and urban planning suggest that the distribution of the tombs was connected to the pathways and roads/streets leading to the main gates of the settlement. Moreover, excavation of the dolmens has shown that tombs located closer to the large EB IB city seem to relate to more important people compared to tombs built away from the site. The megalithic monumental family tombs in Jebel al-Mutawwaq mark out the urban landscape and reflect a society that grew in complexity at the end of the 4th millennium BC.