Archaeological excavations in Jerusalem, Holy Sepulchre: a preliminary report

The aim of the contribution is to present the results of the archeological excavations conducted by a team of the University of Rome Sapienza inside the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, as part of a project to restore the floor of the complex. The project is sanctioned by the main Communities that have custody of the Holy Sepulchre (Orthodox Patriarchate, Custody of the Holy Land, Armenian Patriarchate). Preliminary data from the investigated areas are presented. In the north aisle and in the north-western part of the Rotunda excavations revealed the settlement levels from the quarry to the present. Geological, archaeozoological and archaeobotanical analysis provide important indications for a better understanding of the archaeological complex. Although the work is still in progress, a few preliminary considerations can be advanced.