Connecting and Disconnecting Zones of Interaction in Northern Jordan: Tall al-Assara and Regional Connectivity in the Iron Age IIB–IIC

This study explores landscape mobility among settlements in northwestern Jordan during the Iron Age IIB–IIC periods. Specifically, we consider how interaction changed from the IIB to IIC period in this upland region between the newly discovered site of Tall al-Assara, neighboring settlements, and sites identified during the Tall Ya’moun Regional Archaeological Survey (TYRAS) project. Our aim is to evaluate how landscape considerations, proximity, and potential for interaction might have shaped cultural affiliations in a region that was, for a period, part of the Neo-Assyrian hinterland. We first establish a baseline for mobility across this diverse topography and utilize a spatial point dataset to model local and regional interactions from Tall al-Assara and four other settlements during the Iron Age IIB and IIC period. Second, we contextualize our modeling with published ceramic and settlement data to assess its robustness. Our research contributes to the ongoing scholarly discourse on the interplay between frontier regions as buffer zones for expanding ancient Near Eastern empires, while also highlighting large-scale shifts in occupation during this transformative period.