History of Excavations on Mount Zion

In 1977-78 archaeological excavations were undertaken in a small area situated below the southern Old City wall of Jerusalem, about 100 metres to the east of the Zion Gate, by M. Broshi of the Israel Museum. The object of that excavation was to clarify the date of the fortification tower situated at the base of the wall, and to establish the stratigraphy of the area to its south. These excavations were intended to allow for the construction of a new gate to an underground car-park within the Jewish Quarter. Since the plan to build this underground car-park was not undertaken, the excavations ceased in 1978 abruptly, and were not resumed. The area was later included within the Jerusalem Municipal gardens and it was surrounded by a low fence, but the deep pits in the excavation were a constant danger to passer-bys.

In 2000 the excavations at the site were resumed (IAA License G27/2000) with two objectives: to record available stratigraphical data on the earlier excavations, and to clarify the chronology of the different levels at the site, ranging from Second Temple, Byzantine, Early Islamic to Ayyubid, and Ottoman periods. For a number of reasons, the continuation of these excavations was ceased.