Defining multiple inhabitations of a cave environment using interdisciplinary archaeometry: the ‘Christmas Cave’ of the Wadi en-Nar/Nahal Qidron, West of the Dead Sea

Abstract The present study reports a series of interdisciplinary archaeometrical analyses objects found in the Christmas Cave, which was discovered by John Allegro and his team 1960 on West Bank Dead Sea assumed to be inhabited only Chalcolithic era Jewish refugees second century CE, at end Bar Kokhba Revolt. Like many other Judaean desert caves, there an abundance organic material, especially textiles, surviving dry environment. In absence clear stratigraphy even proper publication finds, shows how archaeometry can provide important insights. We analysed food crusts ceramics gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC–MS), made petrographic descriptions estimated provenance ceramics, produced new radiocarbon dates from material thermoluminescence (TL) pottery. It appears data that Cave has been briefly or visited intermittently over very long time, starting ca. 4000 BCE (the period), extending all way Medieval period, though is also concentration near period Revolt (132–136 CE). argue, through detailed analysis radiometric TL-datings artefactual evidence, likely another refuge episode connected First during people fled this cave. However, we see no connection Qumran nearby caves. Overall, our demonstrates importance archaeometric studies cave environments where veritably absent.