2021 Season

SCIENTIFIC REPORT OF THE ITALIAN-PALESTINIAN EXPEDITION TO TELL ES-SULTAN (2021), PALESTINE

XVII Campaign - 2021

Lorenzo Nigro - Sapienza University of Rome

1. INTRODUCTION

The seventeenth archaeological fieldwork campaign at Tell es-Sultan/Jericho (Fig. 1), in 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 from 22 October to 27 November 2021 and was funded by Sapienza and co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI). The fieldwork was conducted in fruitful collaboration with Palestinian partners.

The main objectives of the seventeenth campaign (2021) were:

a) the restoration and cleaning and securing of monuments in Areas A, B, B West, F and G (§ 2.1-2.4);

b) regularisation of unsafe sections in Areas A, Area E, Area B, Trench I and G (§ 2.4);

c) further restoration work in Building G (western rooms and drainage) with the updating of illustrative panels and visitor information (§ 3);

d) the 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, F AND G

The lack of maintenance during the pandemic caused extensive damage to the mud-brick monuments and, more generally, to all the visitor facilities at the Tell es-Sultan site. The 2021 campaign therefore focused on securing the main monuments against environmental hazards.

The interventions had to deal with the removal of large amounts of leached soil, the collapse of part of the site's fencing and the entire system of internal fencing to prevent direct access to the monuments or areas exposed or dangerous to tourists.

The removal of the excavated ground, assisted by the use of workers and mechanical means, involved: Area A, on the southern slopes of the tell, with particular attention to the westernmost sector of the area, where the exploration of the Cyclopean Wall W.4 was also extended (§ 2.1.); Area B and B-West, along the mighty structures of the Early Bronze III walls (§ 2.2.), at the south-western corner of the city; Area F, on the northern plateau of the tell at the limits of the North-Eastern Trench of the Garstang excavations (§ 2.3.); Area G, on the eastern flank of the so-called 'Spring Hill', with the impressive remains of the overlapping Early Bronze Age III palaces ('Palace G') (§ 2.4.); the Middle Bronze Age II-III palaces ('Palace of the Shepherd Kings' and 'Hyksos Palace') and a third Late Bronze Age building brought to light above the latter's substantial destruction; in Trench I at the Neolithic Tower (§ 2.5.).

2.1. Area A: the Cyclopean Wall W.4 (Sultan IVc-b 1650-1550 BC)

In the XVII campaign (2021), major cleaning and section regularisation works were carried out. The excavation was extended to fully include the AmIV11 framework, bringing the western limit of the excavation to the line of AlIV11. Here, a further section of the emerging crest of Cyclopean Wall 4 was exposed, at the point where this structure curves most decisively to the north.

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

In Area B and B West, the works consisted not only in the cleaning and excavation of the eroded layers, but also in the rehabilitation of Building B1, including the internal furnishings (mortars and basalt hearth). The cleaning activities then focused on the double walls of the Sultan IIIc period (Early Bronze III, 2700-2300 BC). The sacrificial layer on the top of the 'Main Inner Wall' and the 'Outer Wall' was restored, recomposing the wall structure and the elevation, which was characterised by the installation of the characteristic large bricks (0.60 x 0.40 m) of a reddish colour due to the fire that ended the life of the Early Bronze Age IIIB city (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 sense (in the upper part) 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 F: the settlement of the Early Bronze Age II and III (3000-2350 BC)

In the XVII campaign (2021) work returned to Area F, on the northern plateau, where a dwelling quarter of the 3rd millennium B.C. town was excavated. The backfill removal activities were assisted by mechanical means and allowed all the dwellings already excavated to be cleared by the mission.

2.4. Area G: the Bronze Age Palaces from Palace G to the Hyksos Palace and more recent structures

In the XVII campaign (2021) the sections were regularised from the upper Iron Age strata in the immediate vicinity of the shelter down to the Early Bronze Age structures of Palace G. In this way, the different main stratigraphic phases of Area G and Square H, relating to Middle Bronze I, II and III occupation, were distinguished. Important work has been carried out below in the westernmost rooms of Palace G. The excavation involved the northernmost room explored so far of the Palace of Sultan IVb (1800-1650 BC), or 'Palace of the Shepherd Kings', and the structures above it related to the 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 a violent fire, clearly visible in the plug wall W.2301, which extends to the north-east.

In the lower rooms of Palace G, L.1224, a jar with double bracketed door and pierced filter neck was found, of considerable interest and excellent state of preservation (TS.21.1224/1).

2.6. Trench I: Neolithic Tower

During the XVII campaign (2021), a thorough cleaning of the Neolithic Tower was carried out, reopening the original entrance and freeing the monument of soil accumulated through erosion. On this occasion, a human petrous rock was taken from a PPNA layer for aDNA analysis.

3. RESTORATION AND TOURIST ENHANCEMENT OF TELL ES-SULTAN

In the XVII campaign (2021), rehabilitation work was once again carried out along the visitor routes, replacing all illustrative panels. Damage caused by vandalism during the pandemic was repaired. In addition, a section of fence to the south was replaced, which had to be removed in order to remove topsoil.

4. TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT 

Despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic and the more general difficulties in the Near East, during the XVII campaign (2021) the Sapienza Mission, supported by MAECI, continued training activities for local staff, in cooperation with both MOTA-DACH and the Municipality of Jericho. Students from Istiqlal University were hosted and cycles of lessons were organised for Palestinian students in archaeology and tourism. Experiences already carried out during the Jericho Oasis Archaeological Park Project continued.

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

The XVII campaign (2021) was - compatibly with the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic - also dedicated to a further systematic collection of samples for radiocarbon analysis, biologically (metagenome, aDNA, and SEM examination of samples, gas chromatography) and botanically (analysis and microscopic measurements). This is with a view to a new contribution dedicated to the Middle Bronze Age chronology at Jericho, to follow the one published in the journal Radiocarbon in 2019.