The distinction between different archaeological periods is generally made in two ways. The first way to differentiate two periods is to note whether there is a boundary or clear separation between the archaeological remains. The second way is to look at the periods from a historical perspective and note any important historical events that led to significant social and/or political change. While there are other ways to do this, these are the two most common and useful methods. Both of these techniques allow us to recognize differences in archaeological periods. In Palestine, the transition from the Late Bronze Age to the Iron Age I period is marked by a notable “widespread destruction of the Canaanite city-states around 1200 BC by a series of new sociopolitical entities known to history as the Philistines, Israelites, Ammonites, Moabites and Edomites” (Younker 367). Regardless of what the actual progression of events occurred in the transition from the Late Bronze Age to the Iron I period, the result was that Canaan was divided into three major sociopolitical components. These members included the Philistines along the southern coast, the Canaanites in the central and northern areas and in the interior valleys, and the Israelites and other highlanders in the hilly areas. There are many factors that played in the formation of cities and cultures in ancient Israel in Jordan. Perhaps one of the most important factors is trade. Trade influences cultures and helps define eras and impacts architecture, ceramics, etc. of a city. The role of trade in the Iron Age economy was important as it offered new opportunities for Iron Age people. Trade allowed the transfer of the idea... middle of paper... archeology of society to the Holy Land. London: Leicester Univ Pr, 1995. ATLA Religious Database with ATLASerials. Network. March 13, 2012.Mazar, Amihai. Archeology of the land of the Bible. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992. Print. Morkot, Robert. "War and the economy: the international 'arms trade' in the Late Bronze Age and after". Egyptian stories. 169-195. Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, 2007. ATLA Religious Database with ATLASerials. Network. March 13, 2012. Summer, Michael. “Shaping the Economy and Trade of the Mediterranean: Phonic Cultural Identities in the Iron Age.” Material culture and social identities in the ancient world. Ed. Shelley Hales and Tamar Hodos.: Cambridge University Press, 2010. 114-137. Print.Younker, Randall W. “The Iron Age in the Southern Levant.” Near Eastern Archaeology: A Reader. Ed. Susanna Riccardo. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2003. 367-382. Press.