Archaeological study

Ancient wildfires in the Levant may have inspired Neolithic pottery-making, Israeli study suggests

Pottery appeared in the region during roughly the same broad period in which fires, erosion and clay deposition reached their peak. 

|ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
A Yarmukian juglet found in a cave in Samaria.
Obsidian convergent scraper found in Ararat-1 cave, Armenia, in 2019.

Israeli researchers use ancient stone tools to trace hunter-gatherer migrations

The study focused specifically on the late Middle Paleolithic period, when ancient hunter-gatherers attempted to navigate intense environmental shifts in the South Caucasus region.

|ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Ararat-1 Cave, Armenia.

Prehistoric hunter-gatherers stayed connected across 200 kilometers, Israeli study finds

The findings revealed a surprising paradox: Even though the hunter-gatherer communities were relatively small and sparsely located, they were not isolated. 

|ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
A drone view shows the Monte Verde archaeological complex and its surrounding landscape n Chile's Los Lagos region, in this handout photo taken in July 2025 and obtained by Reuters on August 31, 2026.

Is Monte Verde really 14,500 years old? Researchers clash over true age of Chile's ancient site

But a study published in March based on different testing called the 1997 study results inaccurate, concluding that Monte Verde dated to between about 4,200 and 8,200 years ago.

|ByREUTERS

Colombian rancher finds largest known fossil of three-meters tall “Terror Bird” in Tatacoa Desert

Fossil bears tooth marks from giant crocodile, hinting at how the predator met its end.

NOVEMBER 5, 2024ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
“Terror Bird”. Illustration.

Archaeological mission discovers first Middle Kingdom tomb in South Asasif Necropolis

The excavation revealed a wealth of unique jewelry in the female burials, including necklaces, bracelets, chains, rings, and belts made from red agate, blue and green glazed ceramics, and faience.

NOVEMBER 3, 2024ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Mummified cat, Egypt, Beni Hassen, Middle Kingdom, 2040-1782 BC, site of Khnumhotep II, linen and pigments. Fitchburg Art Museum.

Hidden 4,000-year-old fortified town discovered in the Khaybar Oasis of Saudi Arabia

Al-Natah, occupied from 2400 to 1500 BCE, had about 500 residents and is the first of its kind for studying an ancient settlement in northwest Arabia.

OCTOBER 31, 2024ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Wadi Disah, Al Shaq canyon of Saudi Arabia.