The proto-historic site of ‘En Esur (‘Ein Asawir) is located at the northern coastal plain of Israel. Recent excavation at the site has revealed a huge and extensive city that was established during the late Early Bronze Age IB (EBIB). This city seems to have been the focal point of various trading routes through which large numbers of vessels were imported into the settlement, amongst pottery vessels from Egypt, generally small portable containers. The current paper will discuss a rather unique find, three serekh or “serekh-like” incisions on one medium sized Egyptian “wine jar” that was found inside a house located at the western side of the city. This find pinpoints ‘En Esur as the northernmost location for Egyptian serekhs during the late 4th millennium BCE. While no evidence for a physical existence of Egyptian population at the site is available to date, the incised wine jar may indicate high ranked trade relations between the Egyptian newly established state (and maybe also its enclaves in Canaan) with the largest and most important urban center at the southern Levant during the late 4th millennium BCE.
‘En Esur; urbanization; Egypt; serekh; trade
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