A preliminary archaeobotanical study of charred remains from the archaeological site of Tell es-Sultan (Jericho, Palestine)

The present work concerns the study of charred botanical (seeds/fruits and wood) finds from the site of Tell es-Sultan, the ancient city of Jericho, considered as one of the most significant archaeological sites for the study of South Levantine cultures. The macro-remains were retrieved from layers datable between the Early Bronze Age (EBA) and the Middle Bronze Age (MBA) (3000-1650 BC), collected during the 2019-2023 excavation seasons carried out by Sapienza University of Rome and the Palestinian MoTA-DACH. The aim of this study is to investigate the use of plants by one of the first agricultural urban communities and how this allowed the development of Jericho as an urban center from the 3rd millennium BC. In fact, the favorable past environmental conditions of this area allowed a great economic revolution through agriculture, leading to technological and social developments. This research, therefore, aims to answer questions concerning the exploitation of the environmental resources in Jericho during the Bronze Age, focusing on the cultivation practices and agricultural products. Preliminary results show that Hordeum vulgare L. (barley) and taxa belonging to the genus Triticum are the most abundant, mostly collected from Middle and Early Bronze Age residential and palatial areas. The high concentration of cereals was expected: they were one of the main sources of food, even before their domestication, and among the first crops intensively and systematically cultivated to increase their production, which is the basis of agriculture. Remains of pulses and fruit plants were also found, allowing to hypothesize a richer diet and a more varied agriculture. Charcoals, instead, provide information about the past arboreal vegetation of the area and the exploitation of local resources, such as Acacia sp. (acacia) and Populus sp. (poplar).