The transition from the Late Bronze Age to the Iron Age has been discussed by many scholars. For the most part they tried to present a single scenario that relates to the transition between these periods in all parts of the Land of Israel. They have thereby ignored the diverse ecological mosaic the country is composed of, and the influence it has on shaping society and the historical events that occurred in each region. The lecture will focus on the transition from the Bronze Ages to the Iron Age in the central coastal plain, a transition that reflects both the trends of continuity and differences. Against the background of the unique environmental conditions three societal settlement systems that existed in the region are presented: the first – under Egyptian rule, followed by – a semi-nomadic population that penetrated into the region after the collapse of the Egyptian administration, and finally – Philistine rule. An examination of the material culture that characterizes the settlements of the region in each of the aforementioned time periods shows that despite the extreme political changes, most of the components of the material culture indicate a great deal of continuity. In order to explain these trends, which would seem to contradict each other, I will use the “Theory of Self-Organization” and show that while the region was politically subservient each time to an external power, the local Canaanite culture did not become extinct; rather it was only hidden away inside of the predominant culture.