Located in the Jordan Valley, the property is an oval-shaped tell, or mound, that contains the prehistorical deposits of human activity, and includes the adjacent perennial spring of ‘Ain es-Sultan. A permanent settlement had emerged here by the 9th to 8th millennium BC, due to the fertile soil of the oasis and easy access to water. Skulls and statues found on the site testify to cultic practices amongst the Neolithic populations living there, and the Early Bronze Age archaeological material shows signs of urban planning. Vestiges from the Middle Bronze Age reveal the presence of a large Canaanite city-state occupied by a socially complex population.

Copyright © 1992 - 2024 UNESCO/World Heritage Centre. All rights reserved.