Archaeological study

Neanderthals' ancient toolkit included hammers, blades made from rhino teeth, study finds

Dental microwear analysis, which allows for the microscopic study of surface textures, confirmed that the marks were made after the animals' deaths, ruling out chewing or dietary wear and tear.

Rupert van Der Werff from Summers Place Auctions with a rare skeleton of a long-extinct woolly rhinoceros in Billingshurst, England, March 5, 2019; file photo.
A partial view of a settlement from the Neolithic Period (New Stone Age), discovered during archaeological excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority near Motza Junction, about 5 km west of Jerusalem,  July 16, 2019; file photo.

Plaster-making technique attributed to Romans used at Motza some 8,000 years earlier, study shows

Views from five different angles of a molar of an adult Neanderthal individual, discovered at Chagyrskaya Cave in the Siberia region of Russia and dating to about 59,000 years ago, seen in this undated image released on May 13, 2026.

Neanderthal tooth from Siberian cave shows signs of earliest-known invasive dental surgery - study

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

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


Archaeologists uncover 15,000 unexpected artifacts beneath Tulsa cemetery

A routine search for unmarked graves at Oaklawn Cemetery has instead uncovered 15,000 artifacts that reveal a vivid, unexpected picture of early Tulsa.

The Oaklawn Cemetery in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Possible double-burial of pharaohs in Osorkon II’s tomb, newly discovered statues show

Archaeologists uncovered 225 inscribed funerary statues beside an unmarked sarcophagus in Osorkon II’s tomb, strengthening the case for two royal burials at Tanis, Egypt.

Shabti figurines inscribed with the name of Pharaoh Shoshenq III, found inside Osorkon II’s tomb at Tanis, northern Egypt.

New Israeli technology lets archaeologists see underground without digging

Using muon detectors, the team produced detailed images of underground features, including tunnels and cisterns, based on how soil absorbs cosmic radiation.

 A paleontologist cleaning a skeleton during an archaeology dig; illustrative.

Scientists reconstruct face of 900-year-old woman from churchyard skull

Visitors to Holy Trinity Parish Church are invited to pick a name for the medieval woman from a ten-strong shortlist.

Scientists reconstruct face of 900-year-old woman from churchyard skull.

Iron Age olive oil center in Beit Aryeh shows Israelite kingdom’s economic power in Samaria

A study published in the Israel Antiquities Authority's latest volume found that olive oil production was a key economic engine for the ancient Kingdom of Israel.

View of an ancient olive press in an archeological digging site in the Sharafat neighborhood of Jerusalem, on March 27, 2019 (illustrative).

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.