The Chalcolithic period in the Southern Levant is still a period under discussion, which refers both to the exact chronological position and the socio-political development during the period. The article summarises the chronological debate and then concentrate on the Late Chalcolithic period. The discussion will deal specifically with the archaeological evidence from the area around the Dead Sea,
but also touch upon larger questions of craft specialisation, labour organisation, prestige objects and the importance of rituals or cultic matters.