Abstract :
Excavations by Rome La Sapienza University at Khirbet al-Batrawy brought to light an Early BronzeAge urban centre in Upper Wadi az-Zarqa (north-central Jordan) with an imposing defensive system, growing from EB II to EB IIIB (2900-2300 BC). As a cantonal survey demonstrated, at the beginning of EB II, the Zarqa district witnessed a synecistic process which led Batrawy to become a strongly fortified city and a caravans centre, which controlled the ford through the wadi, as well as the tracks crossing the Syro-Arabian Desert and leading into the Jordan Valley. Its material culture points to intense exchanges with both the surrounding river and countryside, and long-trade routes. Public buildings, such as the Broad-Room Temple and especially the Palace of the EB IIIB city, found in an extraordinary preservation state, provide interesting insights into early urbanism of 3rd millennium BC South Syria and Jordan.
