Archaeologists from the University of Copenhagen have excavated a 5,500-year-old site at Murayghat in Jordan, uncovering clues about how Early Bronze Age communities responded to the collapse of the Chalcolithic culture. The findings show a transformation from village life to ritual landscapes featuring dolmens and megalithic structures. This shift likely stemmed from climate change and social upheaval around 3500 BCE.
The site of Murayghat emerged after the decline of the Chalcolithic culture, which spanned approximately 4500 to 3500 BCE and was characterized by village settlements, symbolic art, copper tools, and small shrines for worship. Researchers attribute the collapse to a mix of climate change and social disruption, prompting Early Bronze Age communities to rethink their social and spiritual practices.
Excavations at Murayghat reveal clusters of dolmens—stone burial monuments—standing stones, and large megalithic structures, indicating ritual gatherings and communal burials rather than domestic living spaces. "Instead of the large domestic settlements with smaller shrines established during the Chalcolithic, our excavations at Early Bronze Age Murayghat show clusters of dolmens (stone burial monuments), standing stones, and large megalithic structures that point to ritual gatherings and communal burials rather than living quarters," explains project leader Susanne Kerner, an archaeologist at the University of Copenhagen.
Archaeologists documented more than 95 dolmen structures, along with stone enclosures and carved rock features on the hilltop, suggesting ceremonial purposes. These monuments may have acted as territorial markers and social symbols in the absence of centralized authority. "Murayghat gives us, we believe, fascinating new insights into how early societies coped with disruption by building monuments, redefining social roles, and creating new forms of community," Kerner adds.
Artifacts unearthed include Early Bronze Age pottery, large communal bowls, grinding stones, flint tools, animal horn cores, and a few copper objects, pointing to ceremonial activities and possible feasting events. The site's layout and visibility suggest it served as a regional meeting place for social and spiritual gatherings across groups.
Kerner detailed these discoveries in the journal Levant, in the article "Dolmens, standing stones and ritual in Murayghat" (2025, volume 57, issue 2). The findings highlight how ancient societies turned crisis into creative expressions of identity and community, with monuments enduring in Jordan's hills today.