Ceramics from Khalet al-Jam'a (Bethlehem, Palestine): a material hidden for millennia

Abstract

Introduction: Bethlehem, the ancient city of Palestine, has been known for its religious and historical significance for millennia. A recently excavated site, Khalet al-Jam’a, was unearthed and surveyed by a joint team of the Palestinian MOTA-DACH (Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities - Department of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage) and Sapienza University of Rome in 2013-2016 and abundant materials were recovered. This study is focused on the mineralogical-petrographic and chemical characterization of ceramic material yielded from this site, with the aim to reconstruct the technological level reached by the ancient civilization occupying it during the Early Bronze Age. Optical microscopy (OM), X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) provided results which can define the nature and provenance of raw materials, as well as technological aspects such as firing conditions and post-burial processes, to finally give a view of the socio-economic status at that time.