Tell es-Sultan is the ancient mound of Jericho — a UNESCO World Heritage Site (designated 2023) that represents one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in human history. Excavations have revealed continuous habitation going back to approximately 10,000 BCE, making this the oldest known fortified settlement on earth.
The most dramatic find is the Neolithic tower, built around 8000 BCE: a round stone structure nearly 9 metres tall with an internal staircase. Archaeologists also found ten plastered human skulls with painted features, suggesting sophisticated ancestor veneration long before writing was invented. The visible remains are unimpressive to the untrained eye — you are essentially looking at mounds of ancient mud brick — but the interpretive museum at the site helps convey the scale of what happened here across 12,000 years of continuous human settlement.
The site is located about 2 kilometres north of modern Jericho town, accessible by taxi or the cable car to the Monastery of the Temptation. It is managed by the Palestinian Authority.