Archaeological excavations in the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem: 2023 preliminary report

This contribution presents the results of the 2023 archeological excavations conducted by a team from 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. Investigations covered the areas of the south-eastern Rotunda, the space in front of the Aedicule, and the north-eastern deambulatory. The excavation of the Rotunda was completed and it was possible to reconstruct the chronological sequence of the first phase to monumentalize the venerated Tomb. The apse of the early Christian church was found, beneath which runs a Roman street. These findings contribute to the reconstruction of the archaeological history of the town and the architectural phases of the Holy Sepulchre complex.