The objective of this workshop is to confront our interpretations of the various transitional phases across the late 4^th-3^rd Millennium (Late Chalcolithic to Early Bronze I, EB I to EB II, and EB III to EB IV/Intermediate Bronze Age) in the southern Levant. The focus is on the nature of the cultural-period-defining traits and their value for distinguishing between changes related to endogenous or exogenous evolution, cultural or demic diffusion. These traits will include material culture, architecture, mortuary practices as well as patterns of relationships between sites and subsistence strategies. Invited papers address aspects of periods of transition in the Early Bronze Age, especially those that consider the complexities of method and interpretation of social change within a rigid chronological framework.