Archaeobotanical preliminary results from the Holy Sepulchre basilica (Jerusalem, Israel)

With its 6000 years long history, the city of Jerusalem sparks particular interest for archaeobotanical studies. Throughout the millennia it was the scenery of many events, starting from the first settlement dated to the Chalcolithic, the Roman conquest and the foundation of Aelia Capitolina, the Crusades, the Mamluk conquest, until modern times. Currently, a new archaeological campaign is underway inside the Holy Sepulcher Basilica. Built by Constantine the Great about 326 AD, it replaced the area where the written sources recall the pre-existent Jupiter/Venus roman temple. Over the years, it underwent destruction and rebuilding cycles due to wars, earthquakes, and fires. The excavation is led by Sapienza University of Rome, as part of a project licensed by the Israel Antiquities Authority and requested by the Communities that have custody of the Holy Sepulchre. Although archaeobotanical studies were previously carried out within the city of Jerusalem, this is the first time an investigation has been carried out in a site that presents a very broad time span (from the medium Iron Age to the modern period) and considers multiple archaeobotanical proxies. Macro-remains recovered so far belong to four excavated areas inside the Basilica. The carpological assemble shows the presence from both wild and cultivated plants with cereals and seed/fruit remains among which Ficus carica is the most abundant. Two loci revealed to be very rich in wood charcoals, ca. 20% of them being twigs, with numerous fragments of Quercus evergreen, Rhamnus/Phillyrea and Olea europaea. The study of pollen, although in low concentration and scarce preservation state, revealed a large amount of Cichorioideae, followed by Asteroideae and Chenopodiaceae. The study is still ongoing and will uncover both the plant usage and the vegetation history of the city through the millennia.