The village spread over a wide area in the Baysan Valley, west of the Jordan and next to the Baysan-Jericho highway. Its inhabitants were members of the al-Ghazzawiyya Bedouin tribe, who, together with tribes of the al-Bashatiwa and the al-Suqur, constituted the bulk of the valley's population. They had settled in the area because of the availability of water and fertile soil, and lived in both permanent houses and tents. All of them were Muslims. Crop cultivation and animal husbandry were the chief occupations of the 'Arab al-Ghazzawiyya. Crops-mainly grain, in addition to fruits and vegetables-were either irrigated or rainfed. The village was also known in the region for its wool and dairy products. In 1944/45 a total of 13 dunums was devoted to citrus and bananas and 5,185 dunums were allocated to cereals; 34 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards. The villagers tended their animals in the Jordan Valley in winter and in the highlands in summer. Tall al-Barta (200213), to the north, Tall al-Husn (197212), to the west, and Tall al-Maliha (199211), to the southwest of the village, provide evidence that the area has always attracted settlement. The excavation of Tall al-Husn revealed an occupational history that extended from the third millennium B.C. to the eighth century A.D., when the site was occupied by an Arab village.
