This report presents the results of several excavations at Eshta'ol, which revealed occupation remains from six strata, dating from the Neolithic period to the Intermediate Bronze Age. These excavations were the first to identify occupational horizons dating to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B and Pottery Neolithic periods (Jericho IX/Lodite cultures), including significant flint and ceramic assemblages. The Early (Wadi Rabah) and Late Chalcolithic remains at Eshta'ol indicate a small settlement with two occupation phases. The large Early Bronze Age settlement at the site comprised at least four occupational phases, all associated with EB IB, reflecting a long-lived, preplanned rural village that subsisted primarily on agriculture; it may have become urbanized by the late stage of EB I. Occupation during the Intermediate Bronze Age appears to have been short-lived; nonetheless, the presence of at least three building phases suggests the site may have been periodically abandoned and resettled.
Golani et al. (Tue,) studied this question.