Ep 7. Jericho's Buried Secret

In Unearthed season 7 episode 7, titled "Jericho's Buried Secret," the show takes viewers on a journey to the ancient city of Jericho. Located in modern-day Palestine, Jericho is a city that has been inhabited for over 11,000 years, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

The episode focuses on a specific area of Jericho that has long been shrouded in mystery. Known as Area H, this section of the city has been under excavation for over 60 years, and yet there are still unanswered questions about what exactly lies beneath the surface. The show's hosts, presenter Steven Kearney and archaeologist Dr. Alexei Vranich, meet with a team of archaeologists who have been working on the site in an attempt to uncover its secrets.

One of the things that makes Area H so interesting is that it is home to some of the earliest examples of urban planning in the world. The city was divided into distinct neighborhoods, each with its own public buildings and private homes. The archaeologists working on the site have been able to uncover evidence of a sophisticated water system, indicating that the residents of Jericho were able to redirect water from nearby natural springs in order to irrigate their crops.

The team also uncovers evidence of defensive structures in Area H, including a massive stone tower that could have been used as a watchtower or a defensive fortification. This leads the team to speculate about the nature of the threats that Jericho faced throughout its long history.

However, the real focus of the episode is on a mysterious pit that was discovered in Area H. The pit is relatively small, only a few feet in diameter, but it is deep and appears to descend into the earth for several meters. The archaeologists on the site have been unable to determine what the pit was used for or why it was created. Some theories suggest that it was a ritual burial site, while others speculate that it was used for some sort of industrial process, such as the production of dyes or the extraction of salt.

To get a better understanding of the pit's purpose, the team uses a variety of cutting-edge technologies, including ground-penetrating radar and 3D imaging. They are also able to take soil samples from the pit, which they analyze in a laboratory. The results of these tests are fascinating, but they don't definitively answer the question of what the pit was used for.

Throughout the episode, the team also discusses the challenges of working in a site as complex as Area H. Because the site has been excavated for so many years, there is a risk of overlapping and conflicting data. The team needs to be meticulous in their approach, carefully recording and cataloging each find. They also need to be flexible, able to adapt their methods and hypotheses as new information comes to light.

By the end of the episode, the pit in Area H remains a mystery. However, the team's work has shed new light on the complex history of Jericho and the challenges of uncovering the secrets of a site that has been inhabited for over 11,000 years. "Jericho's Buried Secret" is an engaging and thought-provoking episode that will appeal to fans of archaeology and history alike.