Avoiding “State-ness” in Iron Age (1200–586 BCE) Southern Jordan: Settlement Patterns from Marginal Landscapes Associated with Autonomous Social Organization

Iron Age polities of southern Jordan have been variously portrayed as states, chiefdoms, and other complex political formations. While most archaeological studies of this region have focused on the relative 'state-ness' of Iron Age political formation, other forms of sociopolitical organization near the edges of these polities have taken a backseat to issues of the state. Based on the results of a systematic survey in 2009 of the Wadi al-Feidh in southern Jordan, I examine the relationship between regional states and local communities living in politically and environmentally marginal zones. Overall, my findings showed that Iron Age settlements were founded in rugged and isolated environments, and that subsistence and settlement patterns consisted of low-intensity agropastoralism and semipermanent occupation at a small number of settlements. I argue that Iron Age communities strived to maintain relative autonomy from the state through their choice in settlement locations, subsistence practices, and local social organization.