Archaeology

Israel uncovers Second Temple-period mikveh beneath Western Wall

The ritual bath was found sealed beneath a layer of destruction dated to 70 CE, in which researchers found burned ash and numerous artifacts that offer a snapshot of life just before the city fell.

THE RITUAL purification bath (mikveh) from the Second Temple period.
Rare Byzantine-era gold coins discovered at the Hyrcania archaeological site in the northern Judean Desert.

Byzantine-era coins, ring discovered in Judean Desert point to Christian presence in region

eople look at the artifacts found during the construction of the new metro line at the Colosseum metro station which promise to dazzle locals and tourists with museum-like displays of archaeological discoveries, in Rome, Italy December 16, 2025.

New Rome metro stations showcase ancient treasures after years of delays

Ancient Celtic gold coins found in Switzerland.

Archaeologists find Switzerland’s oldest gold coins dating back 2,200 years


Ancient DNA reveals extreme family ties in Bronze Age southern Italy - study

The genetic evidence is consistent with a father-daughter union, making it one of the clearest and earliest documented cases of such extreme parental consanguinity in the archaeological record.

DNA (illustrative).

3000-year-old burial site uncovered in Scotland sheds light on devastation in the Bronze Age

Archaeologists from GUARD Archaeology uncovered the unusual Bronze Age burial site near Twentyshilling Hill, Dumfries and Galloway, while working on a wind farm project.

TWENTYSHILLING BARROW as it was first uncovered.

High-tech cleaning brings back brutal detail of Rome’s Danube wars

The hand-held lasers concentrate flickering beams of light onto the stone, with the heat they generate lifting away black deposits of pollution to reveal the white Carrara marble beneath.

A worker uses a laser to clean a section of the Column of Marcus Aurelius during restoration work, in Rome, Italy, December 18, 2025.

Israeli AI, drone imagery revolutionizing mapping of archaeological sites

“Sites that appear on the surface as scattered stones suddenly become coherent, organized spaces, and it saves a lot of research time,” Dr. Yitzchak Jaffe said.

Drone imagery of an archaeological site.

Jewish antiquities dealer arrested in Damascus on charges of illegal trafficking in artifacts

Private sources told The Media Line that a patrol from the Syrian security services raided Hamdani’s shop, confiscated several archaeological pieces on display, and then arrested him.

A man sells woolly hats and scarves with the colours of the independence-era Syrian flag at the Hamidiyah market in the old city of the capital Damascus on January 2, 2025.

Hanukkah discovery: Rare Hasmonean lamp, Second Temple stylus found near Jerusalem

The Civil Administration said the artifacts add to a growing corpus of Second Temple–era material recovered in recent years across the West Bank.

An archaeologist of Israel Antiquities Authority displays an oil lamp and coins dating back to the Sanhedrin era which have been uncovered at the Tel Yavne excavation site in central Israel, on November 29, 2021.

Ancient lead menorah pendant sheds light on Jewish presence in Byzantine Jerusalem

Cast almost entirely of lead, the pendant is decorated on both sides with an identical image of a menorah framed within a circular border.

AN ANCIENT menorah pendant from the Byzantine period, found in Jerusalem.

Libya's Red Castle museum opens for first time since fall of Gaddafi

The museum, Libya's largest, was closed in 2011 during a NATO-backed uprising against longtime ruler Gaddafi, who appeared on the castle's ramparts to deliver a fiery speech.

A newly discovered artifacts are seen at Libya's Red Castle Museum, Libya, February 28, 2019. Picture taken February 28, 2019.

In first-ever discovery, archaeologists find ancient Egyptian pleasure boat off Alexandria coast

Archaeologists uncovered the first known thalamegos near Alexandria’s ancient port, a 35-meter pleasure boat matching Strabo’s account and preserved with Greek graffiti and timberwork.

The Nile Mosaic of Palestrina, depicting several ancient Egyptian pleasure boats; illustrative.

Hasmonean era 'first wall' section revealed at Tower of David museum excavation - interview

Israel’s Heritage Minister, Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu, called the discovery: “tangible and moving evidence of Jerusalem’s might and stature during the Hasmonean period.”

Archaeologist Amit Re'em and Eilat Lieber, director of the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum stand atop the recently uncovered section of the Hasmonean wall.

Massive 4,000-year-old pits near Stonehenge were carved by neolithic humans, archaeologists say

Research published in the Internet Archaeology Journal found that the pits are man-made and were constructed during the late Neolithic period, making them over 4,000 years old.

Sheep grazing near Stonehenge.