A Syrian goblet at Khirbat Iskandar, Jordan. A study of interconnectivity in the EB III/IV Period

Khirbat Iskandar is best known as an important Early Bronze IV permanent agricultural settlement (ca. 2300-2000 BCE), located along the ancient "King's Highway," int he Central Plateau, a few kilometers north of Wadi Mujib. More recent excavations have uncovered a significant EB III settlement, as well as earlier occupation at the site. The purpose of this paper is to present an interpretive study of a unique find in the region of south-central Transjordan: a black Syrian goblet. The rim fragment of the cup was discovered in the foundation trench of the square tower at the northwest tower corner of the mound. What is particularly noteworthy about this vessel is that its provenance in clearly north-north central Syria, and it appears to compare well with vessels from sites in that area, particularly Tell Mardikh, in assemblages dating from the Syrian EB IVA-the EB IIIB period in the southern Levant. This study includes a comparative ceramic study of the vessel in question, and situates the cup in the broader historical context of interconnectivity in the EB III/IV periods between Syria and the southern Levant.