Objectives
Palestine has submitted a nomination file to UNESCO for Tell es Sultan, an exceptional archaeological site located in Jericho, which witness the production of the first handshaped mud bricks and by extension to the first elaborate forms of architecture and urbanism in human history, some 11000 years ago. A century of excavations and extensive studies revealed the complex history of the place and provided a vast literature, but each excavation exposed extremely fragile elements which deteriorate very quickly in spite of the low precipitation in Jericho.
The problem is known to archaeologists who implemented conservation attemps since 1997. But the current situation in terms of conservation is alarming. The Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MoTA) in cooperation with the UNESCO Office in Ramallah and the Sapienza University of Rome initiated a project entitled “The Conservation of Tell es-Sultan”. The first actions planned in this project were the organisation of an international symposium and a training course on conservation. CRAterre participated in the symposium and co-supervised with La Sapienza the practical course for Palestinian conservation technicians.
Partners
MoTA, Sapienza University of Rome
Funding
UNESCO
