Maximal external circumference (a) and internal volume (b) of 50 typical Egyptian beer jars, drawings in [<b>10]</b>–[14<b> </b>].

<p>According to the dip test both distributions are unimodal: p = 0.70 for the circumference and p = 0.43 for the volume.</p

The circumference of 376 Egyptian New Kingdom ovoid-shaped jars presented in three recent publications [<b>10]</b>–[12<b> </b>].

<p>According to dip test (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0033895#s3" target="_blank">methods</a> below) the distribution is unimodal, p = 0.66.</p

The circumference (a) and calculated volume (b) of 89 Phoenician globular jugs [<b>26]</b>–[36<b> </b>].

<p>According to the dip test both distributions are unimodal: p = 0.83 for the circumference and p = 0.72 for the volume.</p

The circumference of 249 Late Bronze ovoid-shaped jugs and jars found at Megiddo [<b>38</b>] (a); Typical Late Bronze ovoid-shaped jug (left) and jar (right) from Megiddo [<b>38, Plate 33, jug 5 and jar 8</b>] (b).

<p>According to the dip test the hypothesis that the distribution of the circumference is unimodal can be rejected at p = 0.11.</p

A Phoenician globular jug from Megiddo, with a maximal external circumference of 29.2 fingers and volume of 0.53 <i>hekat</i>.

<p>A Phoenician globular jug from Megiddo, with a maximal external circumference of 29.2 fingers and volume of 0.53 <i>hekat</i>.</p

Typical Egyptian beer jars [<b>13, Plate IX b, jars 28 and 24</b>].

<p>Typical Egyptian beer jars <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0033895#pone.0033895-Castel1" target="_blank">[<b>13, Plate IX b, jars 28 and 24</b>]</a>.</p

Correspondence analysis of taxonomic composition in assemblages from urban and rural sites.

<p>Analysis is based on the frequency data in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0091795#pone-0091795-t002" target="_blank">Table 2</a>. (A) Comparison of assemblages from urban (green triangles), rural (orange diamonds), and unclassified (asterisks) contexts. (B) Comparison of urban and proxy assemblages (purple squares).</p

Rarefaction analysis of urban and rural assemblages.

<p>Data used for this analysis excludes taxa that are rare in the urban assemblages and indicate abandonment/intrusion (<i>Meriones</i>, <i>Microtus</i>, <i>Spalax</i>, <i>Gerbillus</i>). NISP is the number of identified specimens.</p

Location map of the study sites in relation to climate and topography.

<p>Location map of the study sites in relation to climate and topography.</p

Contrast between a large-scale mound site and a single-period small-scale settlement.

<p>Tel Megiddo has a history of thousands of years of dense urban occupation (above; photographed by Skyview and the Megiddo Expedition) whereas Khirbet ed-Dawwara is a single-period small-scale settlement with shallow accumulation above the natural hill topography (below; photographed by I. Finkelstein). The original rocky surface of Khirbet ed-Dawara can be glimpsed in the excavation area only slightly below the present-day surface and in the surrounding hilly landscape. This site is a fortified rural settlement situated in the Jerusalem area and dated to the Iron Age IIA period at the beginning of the 1st millennium BCE.</p