Blurb:

Tall Jalūl is one of the largest Iron Age tells in Jordan, rising approximately 36 m at its height above the Mādabā Plains. It has two known monumental features including a massive water reservoir and at least two phases of a stone approach ramp, both requiring a skilled labor force and significant commitment of resources to complete. The site appears to have been completely surrounded by a stone wall and the sloping sides made it easier to defend during the Iron Age. However, it is still unknown as to why Tall Jalūl needed such a large water supply and approach ramp or how many people would have been within its walls at its peak during the Late Iron Age II. What was the maximum carrying capacity of the city and how much water did it need to sustain its population? Was there sufficient rainfall to fill a reservoir of this size or was an outside source needed to maintain its water levels? How do these features compare with other sites on the Mādabā Plains and what social structure was needed to carry out large public works projects on this scale? This paper will conduct a controlled comparison that examines the size, scale, and carrying capacity of Tall Jalūl in order to determine the purpose of its large reservoir and approach ramp, and calculate the amount of water needed to sustain its maximum population. It will identify the distances to nearby Iron Age sites and compare Tall Jalūl with other sites on the Mādabā Plains including related archaeological features at Tall Ḥisbān and Tall al-ʿUmayri, as well as relevant Iron Age settlements in the region. It concludes with a possible explanation for the site choice and the social organization that would have been needed to manage these large public works projects.