In the last decade two large tells on the northern coastal plain have been excavated at Ain Assawir and Magal. Ain Assawir is located at ‘Iron Junction, where the road diverged in two directions: west to the shore line and the Carmel range and east to Megiddo. Tel Magal is located along the Via Maris, c. one kilometer south of Tell Jatt, and south of ‘Iron Junction. The information from both these excavations joins the multitude of information that has already been collected in archaeological surveys and allows us to reconstruct an extremely enlightening picture regarding the settlement processes in the northern coastal plain, from the Pottery Neolithic A until the end of the Early Bronze Age.
 
At Tel Magal, which covers approximately 200 dunams in area, occupation layers were exposed that date from the beginning of the Neolithic period until the end of the Early Bronze Age III and at the tell at Ain Assair, which is c. 500-600 dunam in area, occupation layers were uncovered there that date from the Pottery Neolithic period until the end of the Early Bronze Age IB. Finds dating to the Early Bronze Age II were discovered in the tombs that were exposed nearby. Artifacts from the Early Bronze Age II were not found in the excavations on the tell, but pottery sherds from this period were collected in a survey of the surface level of the ancient settlement.
On the northern coastal plain there were dozens of other sites that ranged from 2-5 dunams in area (c. 1% the size of the two tells). At both Tel Magal and Ain Assawir there were 7-8 archaeological strata, whereas at most of the small sites there was only one or sometimes two layers that had accumulated. According to this data, it seems that from the Neolithic period until the end of the Early Bronze Age III, there were two large settlements on the northern coastal plain that were inhabited continuously and they were surrounded by dozens of small sites that were occupied for short periods of time.
 
Based on the ceramic finds, these satellite settlements existed in the Pottery Neolithic period, in the Wadi Rabah culture, in the Chalcolithic period and in the Early Bronze Age I and were later abandoned. In the Early Bronze Age II the settlement was reduced to these two tells only, and in the Early Bronze Age III to only Tel Magal.
 
Surveys that were conducted in the Menashe Hills have shown there was intensive urban settlement in this region during the Early Bronze Age II. One can therefore assume that the settlement continuity at Tel Magal and Ain Assawir in the Early Bronze Age II was connected to the settlement activity in the Samarian Hills.
 
In conclusion, the settlement array in the northern coastal plain and in the Menashe Hills from the Pottery Neolithic period until the end of the Early Bronze Age IB included two main urban settlements, surrounded by dozens of open settlements in temporary sites. In the transition phases to an urban setting the settlement development changed completely. The northern coastal plain was abandoned and habitation was reduced to three settlements along the Via Maris only.