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


Over 30 mummified cats, ancient Egyptian tombs, coffins discovered at Luxor necropolis site

According to preliminary studies, four of the coffins date to the 18th Dynasty, including one bearing the name of Merit, believed to be a chantress of Amun.

Ancient Egyptian wooden coffin found at  Draʻ Abu el-Naga’s necropolis site near Thebes, Egypt, May 19, 2026.

Silk Road Virtual Museum opens first Israel exhibit, displays ancient textiles found in Arava

The exhibit, curated by academics from the University of Haifa, features textiles from India, Central Asia, and China.

Ancient textile fragment found at the Nahal Omer archaeological site in the Arava, southern Israel, by archaeologists from the University of Haifa, May 19, 2026.

Egypt exhibits rare artifact from King Tut's tomb, two restored New Kingdom tombs in Luxor

The tombs that were opened are those of Rabuya and his son Samut from the 18th Dynasty, the first of the New Kingdom dynasties. Rabuya and Samut served as door keepers of the deity Amun.

Ancient Egyptian paintings adorn the newly restored tomb wall, inside the recently restored ancient "Samut" in the El-Khokha necropolis on the west bank of the Nile in Luxor, Egypt, May 14, 2026.

Ancient tunnel with unknown age, purpose found near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel ahead of Jerusalem Day

After descending a set of ancient stairs from the surface, archaeologists found themselves standing at the hewn opening of the tunnel, found to be filled with hundreds of years of ancient sewage.

The mysterious, ancient tunnel found near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel on the outskirts of Jerusalem, May 14, 2026.

Heritage Minister taps INEXTG CEO Esther Shreiber for next IAA director, first woman in role

Her appointment will soon be submitted for approval by the IAA’s council and the government. 

INEXTG CEO Esti Shrieber, tapped to be the next director of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).

US returns two rare, ancient coins to Israel following joint antiquities theft investigation

One of the coins, depicting the Temple's seven-branched menorah, was minted in Hasmonean-ruled Jerusalem, while the other, the second of its kind ever found, was minted in ancient Ashkelon.

Hasmonean-era coin depicted the seven-branched menorah (L) and silver tetradrachm minted in Ashkelon during the Persian period (R) which were returned to Israel from the United States earlier this week, May 13, 2026.

Central-Eastern Europe's oldest Neanderthal group identified by DNA taken from teeth - study

Notably, three of the teeth - two belonging to children and one to an adult - taken from different sediment layers within the cave, all shared identical mitochondrial DNA.

 Neanderthal communities in prehistoric Europe. How were they linked? (Illustrative)

Knesset advances in first reading bill to form Israeli antiquities authority in West Bank

Should the bill pass, it would shift responsibility currently belonging to the Defense Ministry to the Heritage Ministry.

An Israeli flag is raised on the peak of Mount Sartaba in the Jordan Valley, February 23, 2026.

Eight-year-old boy visiting Ramon Crater finds over 1,700-year-old statue fragment hidden in rocks

“I was looking for special things on the ground that I could show in class,” Wolynitz shared. “ Suddenly, I noticed an interesting stone with stripes lying on the ground, and picked it up.”

Eight-year-old Dor Wolynitz with the over 1,700-year-old statuette fragment he found in the Ramon Crater area, May 11, 2026.

Wooden platform older than Stonehenge found hidden beneath man-made island in Scotland

The analysis found that the crannog started out as a circular wooden platform, measuring at around 23 meters across, and topped with brushwood.

The crannog at Loch Bhorgastail, Scotland, May 8, 2026.