The remains of an ancient terraced street that dates back to the Roman period have been uncovered in the Western Wall tunnels, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Wednesday.
The remains of a Roman road discovered in the Western Wall tunnels.
Photo: Western Wall Heritage Fund
The street, which likely led to the nearby Temple Mount itself, dates back nearly 2,000 years when the city was called Aelia Capitolina during the second-fourth centuries.
The site, which was uncovered in archeological excavations over the last year, is a side street which connects two major roads in the area, said Jon Seligman, the Antiquities Authority Jerusalem regional archeologist.
The ancient street, which is paved with large flagstones, is amazingly well preserved, and is demarcated on both sides by walls built of ashlar stones.
The recent archeological finding in the Western Wall tunnels is the latest indication that the Romans continued to preserve the importance of the Temple Mount and its surroundings as one of the main urban focal points of activity of the city even after their destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.
Various artifacts were discovered in the excavations including pottery and glass vessels as well as dozens of coins which all date to the construction of the street and the period after it was abandoned.
