Pastoral economy and mobility in the Edomite Plateau during the mid–late 4th millennium BC: New insights from northern Shawbak

An early development of mobile pastoralism characterizes the 4th millennium BC in the desert periphery of the southern Levant. The Edomite Plateau, with its relatively high rainfall and perennial water sources, offers fertile soils suitable for seasonal migration. Among 16 sites identified in northern Shawbak, several major sites can be dated to the mid-4th millennium BC and are relevant to mobile pastoralism. Comparative analyses with southern sites suggest significant differences in pastoral practices between Wadi Bustan and Site 112, which may indicate occupations by distinct groups. Patterns of exogenous influence in the ceramic traditions imply connections with the Eastern Desert and the ‘Arava Valley. During the 4th–3rd millennia BC, an exchange network associated with seasonal migration likely linked the southern desert zone with the settled zones in the central southern Levant. Within this network, northern Shawbak may have functioned as an interface between eastern and western migration circuits.