Khirbet Al-Batrawy in North-Central Jordan: New discoveries in the Early Bronze Age Palace, 2018-2020

After 16 seasons (2005-2020) of excavations and restorations at Khirbet al-Batrawy in north-central Jordan, a clear picture of the history of the site and its major monuments has been obtained. In the last three seasons, works by Sapienza University of Rome and the Department of Antiquities of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan resumed the exploration of the “Palace of the Copper Axes”, leading to the discovery of a monumental entrance hall and a further western wing. Many finds, including several imports from Egypt, Syria, Anatolia and farther east, allow us to understand the functioning and socio-economic role of the palace in the southern Levantine scenario of the Early Bronze Age, and contribute to a better definition of urbanism in this region of the ancient Near East.