Extensive excavations at the site of Ashqelon Barnea, situated on the Mediterranean coast of southern Israel, have revealed a large and diversified groundstone assemblage, specific components of which reflect clear selection for raw material and uniformity in typological, morphometric and technological characteristics. These components, namely basalt bowls, potters' wheels and spindle whorls, form the focus of this paper, and are used to discuss raw material selection, long-distance Early Bronze Age exchange in stone and copper and the role of Ashqelon Barnea in this trade.

Nearing the end of the Early Bronze (EB) I period (3350-2950 bce) the southern Levant underwent a transition from a village-oriented to an urban-centred society. An outstanding phenomenon of this period throughout the region is the proliferation of rounded circular structures, usually interpreted as storage facilities, often found in proximity to domestic buildings. These imply increased food production of individual households and a greater need for storage of food surpluses. The agricultural prosperity and resulting surpluses suggested by these storage structures reflect the changes affecting local society and may have been one of the catalysts for urbanisation and the formation of ruling elites during this period.