Bethlehem. Rescue excavations 2015–2020 by Sapienza University of Rome and the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities

Sapienza University of Rome and the Palestinian MoTA-DACH have been carrying on several campaigns for the protection of the archaeological heritage in the urban area of Bethlehem since 2015. A large necropolis with tombs dating from the Early Bronze IV, the Middle Bronze Age, and the Iron Age II was discovered and excavated at Khalet al-Jam’a. Rescue interventions involved other cemeteries, such as that of Jebel Dhaher, Bardhaa, and Hindaza, with similar chronological ranges. The overall results provide important insights into the history of Bethlehem during the pre-classical periods and, perhaps even more significantly, has allowed, at those locations, the PNA to manage heritage while promoting a sustainable development notwithstanding the grave constraints imposed from the outside.