Archaeology

First Temple-era figurine mold unearthed in Jerusalem's 'most significant excavation' in decades

Tower of David Museum Chief Curator Eilat Lieber said that "the discovery of the first mold for producing figurines dating to the First Temple period has generated tremendous excitement."

A rare Judean Pillar Figurine mold dating to the First Temple period found in the Tower of David, July 27, 2026.
The ancient Cypriot silver coin dating to the mid-5th century BCE found on Ashdod's shore, July 26, 2026.

Ancient Cypriot silver coin found on Ashdod's shore offers new insight into 2,500-year-old trade

Previously undiscovered tomb of an individual named "Paser," found at the ancient Theban necropolis, July 24, 2026.

Previously undiscovered ancient Egyptian tomb found at Theban necropolis on Nile's west bank

French President Emmanuel Macron and Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa presided over the official handover ceremony of the artifacts, which took place at the People's Palace in Damascus, July 7, 2026.

France returns 23 artifacts to Syria after 15 year-long loan amid Macron’s historic Damascus visit


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

Research methods will include state-of-the-art chemical, artificial intelligence, paleographical, and codicological analysis of approximately 250 samples of the scrolls from the IAA's collection.

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

Bread dead redemption: Scientists bake sourdough with yeast grown in 5,300-year-old mummy

Sarhan also told AFP the team would consider using the yeast to brew beer, but the published study focused on more serious uses for their discovery.

The mummy of an iceman named Oetzi, discovered on 1991 in the Italian Schnal Valley glacier, is displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Bolzano on February 28, 2011 during an official presentation of the reconstrution.

Turkey places site of Alexander the Great’s first battle with Persians under historic protection

Under the Çanakkale Regional Board for the Protection of Cultural Heritage’s decision, both the battlefield and its surrounding areas have gained the protected status.

Mosaic showing Alexander the Great on a horse, June 25, 2026.

Israel damaged heritage sites during ops. against Hezbollah, Lebanese culture minister says

Israel's security zone in southern Lebanon includes the medieval Beaufort Castle as well as centuries-old villages that were home to Christians, Shi'ite Muslims, and Sunni Muslims.

A piece of metal lies at of Al‑Bass Roman ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage site hit by an Israeli airstrike in Tyre, southern Lebanon, June 25, 2026.

Previously unknown Iron Age grave of high-ranking individual, two-wheel chariot found in Germany

The grave was discovered during preliminary investigations ahead of construction of a solar park scheduled to be built near Bad Camberg. 

Previously unknown grave of an Iron Age high ranking individual was found during excavations near Bad Camberg in Hesse, Germany, June 25, 2026.

Hidden in Jerusalem's Old City, collector stumbles upon rare Jewish treasure from Morocco

Isn’t it remarkable to find a unique object that made the journey from Marrakesh to Jerusalem a few hundred years ago?

The exceptional treasure, a mortar dating back to around 1805, had oxidized; the shopkeeper found it among his household goods.

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

The stone, known also as a massebah, was discovered during excavations of the First Temple era site, inside a large residence named by archaeologists as "Building 101," or the Governor's Residency.

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

AI helps recover complete text of Herculaneum scroll burnt by Mount Vesuvius

The blackened, fragile scrolls cannot be physically opened without severe damage. Researchers have instead used high-resolution scans and computational techniques to "virtually unwrap" them.

FILE PHOTO: Fragment of Herculaneum scroll is fixed in place at a Diamond Light Source experimental station after it was scanned using bright x-rays in Didcot, Britain, September 30, 2019.

USS Herring’s final resting place confirmed 82 years after being lost in WWII

Herring and her 83 crew were presumed lost after failing to report to Midway on July 13, 1944. She was stricken from the Navy Register four months later.

The submarine USS Herring (SS-233) passes Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco on October 12, 1943.

New identification technique pushes back timeline of fire use to over a million years ago - study

Researchers explained that when bones exposed to high levels of heat are illuminated with specific light wavelengths, they light up with a distinctive glow.

Stages of Burning on Bones – white (#5 on right) is the most burnt while yellow-beige (on left #1) is unburnt.