Jericho. From the Neolithic to the Bronze and Iron Ages: The Urban diversity

Sixteen seasons (1997-2022) of excavations and restorations at Tell es-Sultan/Jericho by Sapienza University of Rome and the Palestinian MoTA-DACH revealed new data on the history and archaeology of this renowned site of Palestine. A contextual approach reveals the basic contribution that such a long-lived settlement may provide for the interpretation and conceptualization of Levantine archaeology. Human community vs environment, social organization vs cognitive interpretation of life and afterlife, dynamics of exploitation and landscape modeling vs adaptation and cultural invention. All these fields of investigation are touched by the archaeological research at the site. When history makes its appearance, and sources support our historical reconstruction, the retrieval of Egyptian items as well as the possible identification of the Canaanite name of the city, Ruha, may help in disentangling its complex history passing through foreign influence in Palestinian Bronze Age. Last but not least, the joint Italian-Palestinian Expedition testifies to a cooperation which resisted since 1997, opposing the overall political trend which emphasizes differences and confrontation, claiming for a shared, autonomous and authoritative Cultural Heritage.