2020 Season

SCIENTIFIC REPORT OF THE ITALIAN-PALESTINIAN EXPEDITION TO TELL ES-SULTAN (2020), PALESTINE

XVI Campaign - 2020

Lorenzo Nigro - Sapienza University of Rome 

1. INTRODUCTION

The sixteenth campaign of archaeological activities in Tell es-Sultan/Jericho, Palestine, conducted by Sapienza University of Rome and the Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage (MOTA - DACH) of the Palestinian National Authority, was carried out over a long period due to the Covid-19 pandemic, starting from 18 April until 25 September 2020 (with two rounds of fieldwork) and was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI). On-the-spot work was conducted by the Palestinian counterpart, with whom the mission is joint.

The main objectives of the sixteenth campaign (2020) were:

a) the protection of archaeological monuments in Areas A, B West - B North, G (§ 2.1-2.3);

b) trimming and proximity survey in Areas A, Area E, Area B, Trench I and G (§ 2.4);

c) renovation of restoration works (Palace G) and musealisation and updating of illustrative panels and visitor signs (§ 3);

d) training of Palestinian archaeologists and restorers in all phases of documentation, publication and dissemination of the excavation results (§§ 4-5).

2. PROTECTION OF MONUMENTS IN AREAS A, B WEST, B NORTH AND G

The severity of the rainfall in the winter of 2019/2020 - highly unusual in Tell es-Sultan - necessitated extraordinary cleaning and protection of the monuments in areas A, B and G conducted with local workers under the jurisdiction of the MOTA DACH archaeologists (Mr Iyad Hamdan, with funding from the mission). The work of cleaning up the soil that had been washed away by the rains and the collapses of the excavation sections that unfortunately occurred concerned: Area A, on the southern slopes of the tell, with particular attention to Tower A1 (§ 2.1. ); Area B and B-West, along the mighty structures of the Early Bronze III walls, at the south-western corner of the town; in Area B North, at Building B1; Area G, on the eastern flank of the so-called 'Spring Hill', with the imposing remains of the overlapping Early Bronze III palaces ('Palace G') (§ 2. 3.); of the Middle Bronze II-III Palace ("Hyksos Palace" § 2.4.); and of a third Late Bronze Age building brought to light above the substantial destruction of the latter (§ 2.5.); in Trench I at the Neolithic Tower (§ 2.6.).

2.1. Area A: Tower A1 (Sultan IVa-b 1950-1650 BC)

In the 16th campaign (2020), the protection works on Tower A1 and the structures adjacent to it also allowed the stratigraphy of this area to be verified, in light of the results obtained from various analyses of radiocarbon samples taken in 2019 and measured in 2020. This made it possible to reconstruct the stratigraphic and construction sequence and to restore the overlying monuments accordingly.

2.2. Area B West and B North: fortifications from the Early Bronze Age III (Sultan IIc 2700-2300 BC)

Restoration work focused on the double walls of the Sultan IIIc period (Early Bronze III, 2700-2300 BC). The architectural structure of the 'Main Inner Wall' and the 'Outer Wall' respectively was brought to light, highlighting both walls in their prominence from the stone foundations on two or more superimposed courses to the elevation characterised by the use of large bricks (0.60 x 0.40 m), which over time took on a reddish color due to the great final destruction of the Early Bronze IIIB (c. 2350 BC). The 'Main Inner Wall' built on the crest of the tell, along the route of the previous fortification wall of Early Bronze II, was characterised by a considerable thickness (3.8-4.2 m) and, therefore, faced important static difficulties that were solved by inserting wooden chains inside it both in a transversal direction (in the upper section) as well as longitudinally, in the lower section, where wooden girders and beams such as the one exposed in Area B West contributed to the absorption of humidity from the base of the wall and made the entire structure cohesive.

2.3. Area G: the 'Hyksos Palace' and more recent structures

Work in Area G resumed in the 16th campaign (2020) in order to consolidate the emerging structures of the Middle Bronze II palace (Sultan IVb) located directly above the Early Bronze III Palace G and therefore often in a precarious static condition. For this purpose it was again necessary to intervene in the sector where the excavation had been extended in squares Bc-dIII4-5, in the space between the tourist shelter and squares H I and H II of the Kenyon excavations. Here, a complex stratigraphy of the Spring Hill unfolds, where in about 10 metres of height difference one passes from the Umayyad period to the Bronze Age. Workers concentrated on the Palace of Sultan IVb (1800-1650 BC), or 'Palace of the Shepherd Kings' and its more recent reconstruction of Sultan IVc (1650-1550 BC), after a destruction marking the end of the Middle Bronze Age II (F.2331). The reconstructed palace, called 'Hyksos Palace', still extended northwards with a body of buildings (W.2305, W.2307, W.2335) coming forward in which an entrance with a staircase has been identified (L.2327). The Hyksos Palace also suffers from a violent fire, clearly visible in the plug wall W.2301, which extends to the north-east. A sacrificial layer protection was applied to this structure, which was partly reused in the Late Bronze Age, when a new building was erected, to which walls W.2303 and W.2313 and floor L.2312 belong, from which a fragment of a Cypriot milk bowl (TS.19.G.2308/1), a keeled bowl (TS.19.G.2312/2) and a jug with a gobular body (TS.19.G.2312/1) come. The Late Bronze Age building, to be identified with John Garstang's 'Middle Building' was also destroyed and was in turn reused in the Early Iron Age, at least judging from walls W.2315 + W.2317 added in axis with W.2313 perpendicular to wall W.2301, rebuilt with Middle Bronze Age burnt brick.

2.4. Trimming and 3D Survey

Trimming was necessary on the excavation trenches, which was also carried out by local workers. In September, the technicians of the joint mission resumed the 3D survey of the various monuments, using photogrammetry (Trench I, Palace G and the entire Area A , Area E and Area B including Trench III).

3. RESTORATION AND TOURIST ENHANCEMENT OF TELL ES-SULTAN

Maintenance and restoration work in the 16th campaign (2020) was again carried out along all the visitor routes where it was necessary to replace almost all panels and adapt all the information present. Unfortunately, vandalism was recorded in 2019/2020. In addition, the site fence was patched up and the drainage channel in Area G immediately below the shelter for tourists was cleared of debris.

4. TRAINING AND VALORISATION 

Despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic and the more general difficulties in the Near East, during the 16th campaign (2020) of archaeological activities in Jericho, the Sapienza Mission, supported by MAECI, continued training activities for local staff, in cooperation with both MOTA-DACH and the Municipality of Jericho. Telematic seminars were organised for Palestinian archaeology and tourism students. Several videos and tutorials were published and experiential exchange meetings were held in the field of the protection and enhancement of archaeological monuments along the lines of the Jericho Oasis Archaeological Park Project. Local pupils were also accompanied in activities on other sites in the Territories, where the urgent intervention of archaeologists was needed for the protection of threatened heritage.

5. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, OUTREACH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE TERRITORIES

The 16th campaign (2020) was - compatibly with the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic - also dedicated to further systematic collection of samples for radiocarbon analysis, biologically (metagenome, aDNA, and SEM examination of samples, gas chromatography) and botanically (microscopic analysis and measurements).