Shiqmim II: The Phase II Excavations at a Chalcolithic Settlement Center in the Northern Negev Desert, Israel (1987–1993)

The Phase II excavations at Shiqmim, a Chalcolithic settlement center in the northern Negev Desert, Israel (1987–1993), reveal a complex farming community with extensive above-ground and subterranean architectural features. The study challenges previous classifications of Ghassulian society as a chiefdom, instead emphasizing detailed analyses of subsystems like production, distribution, and spatial organization. Radiocarbon dating suggests the site was abandoned by 3800 cal BCE, aligning with broader Chalcolithic chronology. The research uses stratigraphic, architectural, and radiocarbon methods to reconstruct social structures and settlement dynamics.

Rosen, S. A. (2025). Shiqmim II: The Phase II Excavations at a Chalcolithic Settlement Center in the Northern Negev Desert, Israel (1987–1993). Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies, 13(3), 337–340. https://doi.org/10.5325/jeasmedarcherstu.13.3.0337