Dendroarchaeological Analysis of Charcoal Fragments from the Byzantine Street in the City of David, Jerusalem

The excavation of the Byzantine Street in the City of David, Jerusalem (Area S2) yielded several hundred charcoal fragments from multiple loci, of which 200 specimens were analyzed at the Laboratory of Archaeobotany and Ancient Environments at Tel Aviv University. Preservation was generally good to moderate, and all identified taxa belong to the local Mediterranean Israeli flora. The assemblage is characterized by low taxonomic diversity and is overwhelmingly dominated by conifers, with Cupressus sempervirens (Mediterranean cypress) and Pinus halepensis (Aleppo pine) comprising nearly 90% of the analyzed material, suggesting that most of the charcoal derives from construction timbers commonly used in classical periods. Other Mediterranean species were identified at much lower frequencies. The exclusive presence of native taxa indicates predominantly local sourcing of building materials, while the first identification of Syrian maple in a Jerusalem context, together with evidence for olive and fig, suggests regional cultivation and targeted management of timber and horticultural resources during the Byzantine period.