Archaeologists Reconstruct Ancient Landscape Near the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

A team of archaeologists led by the Sapienza University of Rome has reconstructed the ancient landscape surrounding the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. This was reported by Basilica.ro.

The modern church was built over part of an ancient quarry on the hill of Gareb. After quarrying ceased, part of the area was used for agriculture and part for burials. The researchers discovered traces of plots enclosed by low walls, into which soil was deliberately brought for growing plants. Analysis revealed remains of figs, grapes, and grains, as well as evidence of grapevines and olive trees. According to the Sapienza team, this is "the first archaeobotanical study in Jerusalem covering such an extended chronological period — from the middle of the Iron Age to the modern era."

The scholars also confirmed the funerary use of the site: tombs were hewn into the rock exposed after quarrying, at a time when this area lay outside the city limits of Jerusalem. This configuration of the terrain corresponds to the description in the Gospel of John that the place of the Saviour's crucifixion and burial was located near a garden.

The director of the excavations, Francesca Romana Stasolla, noted that the team found "evidence of a funerary landscape alongside small plots planted with vines and olives." The finds do not allow archaeologists to identify the traditional tomb with the burial of Christ, but they do show that the landscape elements described in the Gospel — cultivated land and rock-hewn tombs outside the city — did indeed exist in this part of Jerusalem.

The Sapienza study now covers nearly half the area of the modern basilica: in addition to plant remains, specialists are analysing wood, charcoal, and pollen in order to reconstruct how Jerusalem's vegetation changed and how people made use of natural resources over the centuries. A radical transformation of the site took place in the fourth century, when construction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre began at the initiative of the holy Emperor Constantine, Equal to the Apostles. The archaeologists identified a large circular marble structure associated with the early phase of the shrine's development.

As the SPJ previously reported, scholars in Jerusalem have uncovered new evidence of Christ's burial.