Malena/Fertile Crossroads, 7. Synthesis and Conclusions

Chapter Seven brings all of the evidence presented in these separate case studies into one conversation. Each type of evidence speaks to a considerable amount of interactions, and together the activities involve all areas of the southern Levant. The combined analysis demonstrates interactions among an emerging elite that led to the consolidation of resources and influence. These interactions would eventually give rise to the earliest kings and polities of the Iron Age.