DOI: 10.33547/Aegypt2025.06
Walled settlements of the Early Bronze Age Southern Levant and their topographical diversity. Discussion from the perspective of Tel Erani
by: Joanna Dębowska-Ludwin 
, Karolina Rosińska-Balik
in: M.A. Jucha, J. Dębowska-Ludwin, G. Bąk-Pryc (eds), Per vias Aegypti et Orientis Medii. Studies Presented to Krzysztof M. Ciałowicz, Kraków: Institute of Archaeology Jagiellonian University, Archaeologica Foundation, Profil-Archeo Publishing House, 2025, pp. 63-76.
Abstract: This paper explores Early Bronze Age walled settlements in the southern Levant, focussing on their topographical diversity and construction techniques, with Tel Erani as a central case study. The authors compare Tel Erani with other fortified sites, Tell es-Sakan, Tel Bet Yerah and Megiddo, to investigate the relationship between landscape, material choice, and cultural influences. Despite the availability of stone, Tel Erani features a massive mudbrick wall, raising questions about environmental adaptation and symbolic intent. Fieldwork and geomorphological analysis reveal that both naturally defensible and exposed locations were fortified similarly, suggesting that monumental architecture served purposes beyond defence.
The authors argue that these walls likely functioned as markers of social cohesion, territorial boundaries, or expressions of power, rather than purely defensive systems. The selection of building materials appears to be driven more by environmental availability and logistic considerations than by cultural transmission. Ultimately, the paper concludes that the form and function of early monumental walls were deeply rooted in their local context, and that these structures significantly reshaped the landscape from their inception to the present day.