Site Morphology and SettleMent hiStory in the northern levant JeSSe CaSana 1 abStraCt This paper presents analyses of the regional distribution, aggradation rate and morphology of archaeological sites in western Syria and southern Turkey. Bringing together evidence derived from regional archaeological surveys, excavations at several sites, and CORONA satellite imagery, key chronological differences in the spatial organization of settlements are highlighted. Results illustrate a transformation from tell-based settlement during the Bronze and Iron Ages to more intensive but dispersed patterns of settlement in later periods, as well as the potential of imagery-based morphological analysis of sites to serve as a proxy dating method. introduCtion When archaeologists have attempted to explain the spatial organization of ancient settlement, both within individual sites and at regional scales, they have often tended to look towards formalized economic models or environmentally-determined opportunities and constraints as key forces shaping cities, towns and villages. in contrast, roberts (1996) argues that cultural and cognitive forces operate within demographic, environmental and technological frameworks to produce and reproduce systems of settlement and land use that are highly variable morphologically. From an archaeological standpoint, the notion of settlement morphology as a dynamic variable, rather than simply a preordained product of environmental constraints and available technologies, offers great analytic potential. the spatial organization of ancient settlement can be seen as an artifact of the social forces that produce and maintain such structures, and thus an exploration of settlement morphology can be a rich avenue for inquiry into ancient societies. the tendency of different settlement systems in the ancient near east to trend towards either more nucleated or dispersed patterns, is one axis of variability that has proven to be important in understanding settlement histories (Wilkinson et al. 2003; 1 associate professor, department of anthropology and Center for Middle east and islamic Studies, university of arkansas, old Main 330, Fayetteville, ar 72701 uSa; e-mail: jcasana@uark.edu.