Tell es-Sultan

Tell es-Sultan is the archaeological mound traditionally identified with ancient Jericho and is one of the world’s oldest known settlement sites. The tell preserves long sequences of Neolithic and later occupation.

The site is notable for its Pre-Pottery Neolithic levels, where visitors can see remains associated with some of the earliest permanent settlements, including a remarkable stone tower and remnants of defensive walls. Later Bronze Age and Iron Age city levels are also present.

Tell es-Sultan has been excavated in multiple campaigns since the late 19th and early 20th centuries; excavations demonstrated repeated occupation from the early Neolithic through Bronze Age and later periods. The site features prominently in studies of early urban development in the Near East.

Located near the modern city of Jericho in the West Bank, the tell sits in the Jordan Valley close to the Jordan River and the surrounding fertile plains.

• Early urban remains: Contains some of the earliest known urban and fortified remains, including a Neolithic tower and defensive walls dating to the early Holocene period.

What to See #

• Neolithic tower and walls: Neolithic tower and early walls - standing stone and masonry foundations from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic levels are among the site's most famous features.
• Bronze and Iron Age city levels: Later Bronze Age and Iron Age levels - successive fortified city levels and domestic remains document urban occupation across millennia.