A Glacis in Jerusalem: Zooarchaeological Analysis of Constructional Processes and Consumption Refuse from a Late Hellenistic Fortification

Examination of the mammalian and avian remains from the glacis fills of a fortification wall allow for a unique glance into the construction techniques of Hellenistic Jerusalem (ca. 175–129 BCE) as well as contend with questions of the layered fills origin, urban provisioning, and Hellenisation. The fortification, in Area M4 of the Giv’ati Parking Lot excavations, is located between the cultic and residential sectors of the city, suggesting the refuse used for construction could have been derived from various social contexts. This paper aims to reconstruct the glacis’ formation processes, understand the origin of the refuse that comprises the glacis’ layers, explore the intra-site urban provisioning of Jerusalem, and consider the influence of Hellenism and the characterisation of Hellenistic Jerusalem. Our faunal results suggest that the glacis comprises two construction phases and that the refuse collected likely derives from urban butchery practices. The standardisation and style of the butchery, along with the demographic profile of the assemblage in comparison to a neighbouring assemblage, lead to the assessment that the material must have derived, in part, from a butcher shop. When considering urban provisioning, the refuse contained within the fills depicts a subsistence strategy geared towards meat production and secondary products and indicates that urban Jerusalem was provisioned with an assortment of goods such as choice meat cuts, leathers, shofars, and additional secondary products in light of Hellenisation.