Digging Up Jericho: Past, Present and Future

Digging Up Jericho: Past Present and Future, arising from a conference exploring the heritage, archaeology and history of the Jericho Oasis, includes contributions by 21 internationally significant scholars. It will appeal to scholars and students in Near Eastern prehistory, Islamic archaeology, public archaeology, the history of archaeology, and cultural heritage management. Jericho has had a profile beyond academia, and the volume will also appeal to anyone interested in the archaeology and heritage of Jericho, biblical archaeology and, more broadly, Israel and Palestine. This is the first volume to offer a holistic perspective on the research and public value of the site of Jericho – an iconic site with a long and impressive history stretching from the Epipalaeolithic to the present day. Once dubbed the ‘Oldest City in the World’, it has been the focus of intense archaeological activity and media interest in the 150 years since its discovery. From early investigations in the 19th century, through Kathleen Kenyon’s work at the site in the 1950s, to the recent Italian-Palestinian Expedition and Khirbat al-Mafjar Archaeological Project, Jericho and its surrounding landscape has always played a key role in our understanding of this fascinating region. Current efforts to get the site placed on the World Heritage List only enhance its appeal. Covering all aspects of work at the site, from past to present and beyond, this volume offers a unique opportunity to re-evaluate and assess the legacy of this important site. In doing so, it helps to increase our understanding of the wider archaeology and history of the Southern Levant.Table of ContentsPreface: Digging up Jericho – Bill FinlaysonPart I – PastThe Jericho Excavations in Historical ContextJericho in the Collections of the Palestine Exploration Fund – Felicity CobbingJericho in the Media – Rachael Thyrza SparksThe Photographic Methodology of Kenyon’s Jericho – Stuart LaidlawJericho Syndromes: ‘Digging Up Jericho’ as Ritual Dramas of Possession – Beverley ButlerSquare Pegs in Round Holes – John CarswellThe Impact of Kenyon’s Excavations at Tell es-Sultan on Dutch Archaeology in the Near East – Bart WagemakersReconsidering Results from Past ExcavationsFinding and Losing the Person Within: A Neolithic Plastered Skull from Jericho – Alexandra FletcherKenyon, Jericho and the Amorites – Kay PragMetal Weapons and Social Differentiation at Bronze Age Tell es-Sultan – Daria MontanariJericho Tomb P23 in the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities – Christine Erkelens and Lucas PetitA New Umayyad Mosque at Khirbet el-Mafjar, and other Discoveries: A New Understanding through Architectural Stratigraphy and Landscape Archaeology – Ignacio ArcePart II – PresentCurrent FieldworkThe Italian-Palestinian Expedition to Tell es-Sultan, Ancient Jericho (1997–2015): Archaeology and Valorisation of Material and Immaterial Heritage – Lorenzo NigroMudbricks and Modular Architecture at Tell es-Sultan from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age – Gaia RipepiProtecting the People: The Fortification Systems of Middle Bronze Age Jericho in Light of the Italian-Palestinian Excavations – Chiara Fiaccavento and Elisabetta GalloThe Jericho Mafjar Project: Palestine-University of Chicago Research at Khirbet el-Mafjar – Donald WhitcombCities and Palaces: Khirbet el-Mafjar and the Evolution of Settlements on the Jericho Plain – Michael JenningsTwo Decades of Archaeology in Jericho, 1994–2015 – Hamdan TahaPart III – FuturePreserving the Archaeological Past for the FutureNeolithic Heritage, Jericho and the West Bank – Bill Finlayson and Paul BurtenshawThe Hisham’s Palace Site and Museum Project – Jack Green ;