Oxbow says: Gilat is a Chalcolithic site located in the northern Negev Desert of Israel. Based on seven seasons of excavation at the site, Thomas Levy and his colleagues have revealed this as an important pan-regional sanctuary, presenting a unique opportunity to investigate the development of a prominent ritual centre alongside the social evolution of an early society during the late 5th and early 4th millennium BC. This large tome comprises a collection of thematic essays which combine archaeological data, placed within the context of emerging social hierarchies, chiefdoms, craft...