Archaeological study

Inside the tragic, decades-long mystery of Qumran's lost Second Temple incense

The vast majority of material was lost after a 2025 murder. All that remains is a small amount of dust collected from the floor and a few samples preserved by the Jones family.

A cave in the Qumran area of the Dead Sea region.
A fragment of a 2,000-year-old Psalms Scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls collection; illustrative.

One of the Dead Sea Scrolls' greatest mysteries may have finally been solved by Israeli researcher

A fragment of a 2,000-year-old Psalms Scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls collection; illustrative.

New AI-powered research project aims to uncover the origins of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Composite Aerial Photo of Building 101, Tel Eton, June 23, 2026.

Ancient stone at Tel Eton may provide new proof of King Hezekiah’s religious reform, study suggests


Ancient innovation uncovered: Some of the oldest lamp wicks in history found in Israel

The wicks, preserved in unusual circumstances, are a remarkable discovery given the moist Mediterranean climate, which typically causes organic materials to decompose.

A 4,000-year-old wick was discovered in its entirety in an  Israel Antiquities Authority excavation near Yehud.

Sonar survey confirms mastodon carving at 9,000-year-old Lake Michigan’s ‘Underwater Stonehenge’

High-resolution imaging shows a human-made mile-long boulder array 12 m under Grand Traverse Bay, predating Stonehenge by 4,000 years.

 Sonar survey confirms mastodon carving at 9,000-year-old Lake Michigan’s ‘Underwater Stonehenge’.

Ancient wooden tools uncovered in China shed new light on early human diet, cognitive abilities

The tools include digging sticks made of pine and hardwood, hooks for cutting roots, and small, pointed implements for extracting edible plants from the ground.

 Ancient wooden tools uncovered in China shed new light on early human diet, cognitive abilities.

Prehistoric humans may have used fire to smoke meat one million years ago, study suggests

Over time, as the availability of large game declined, humans had to adapt to hunting smaller animals and using fire more consistently.

 Ran Barkai holds a segment of an ancient elephant at the La Polledrara site in Italy.

1,500-year-old figurines found in Negev point to early Christians in southern Israel

Experts say that the figurines prove that a Christian community lived in southern Israel nearly 1,000 years ago.

 Heads of carved African figures discovered at the site. They may indicate the origin of the buried individuals.

Scientists discover new 15 million-year old fish with last meal fossilized inside its stomach

With the discovery of the species, scientists can now properly develop a timeline surrounding the arrival of the fish in Australia and its evolution since then.

 15 Million year old fish fossil with preserved stomach contents.

Study links Arabian god Kahl to smiting deity tradition

Research connects Qaryat al-Fāw’s patron god to Near Eastern iconography and coinage.

 Study links Arabian god Kahl to smiting deity tradition.

Experts rethink China's Great Wall true purpose

Recent findings suggest the wall served to support pastoralism and control local nomadic groups.

 Experts rethink China's Great Wall true purpose.

New study shows human ancestor thrived in harsh desert conditions over 1 million years ago

The research challenges the long-held belief that only Homo sapiens had the capacity to thrive in extreme environments.

 Monolith made of red sediments at he Olduvai Gorge or Oldupai Gorge.

Archaeologists uncover artifacts from ancient Egypt's 2nd, 3rd, and 18th dynasties in Saqqara

the expedition uncovered over ten burials from the 18th Dynasty, indicating that Saqqara was used as a necropolis during the New Kingdom when Memphis was reinstated as the capital of Egypt.

 Archaeologists find artifacts from the second, third, and eighteenth dynasties of ancient Egypt in Saqqara necropolis.