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

Aim of the contribution is the presentation of the results of the 2023 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. 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 been completed and it was possible to reconstruct the chronological sequence of the first monumentalization of 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 towns and the architectural phases of the Holy Sepulchre complex.