Tulaylāt al-Ghassūl

Tulaylāt al-Ghassūl is an ancient archaeological site in the Jordan Valley, near the Dead Sea in modern Jordan. It is the type-site for the Ghassulian culture, an archaeological stage dating to the Middle Chalcolithic Period (approximately 3800–3350 BCE).12

This culture was characterized by small settlements of farming peoples who built mud-brick houses, some of which were trapezoid-shaped or underground dwellings. They created notable polychrome wall paintings and developed elaborate pottery styles, including footed bowls and horn-shaped goblets. The Ghassulians also smelted copper and buried their dead in stone dolmens. Evidence suggests this site may represent transitional developments from the Neolithic to the Chalcolithic period.13