Archaeology

At sunrise in an ancient Golan synagogue, the debate over sovereignty feels absurd - opinion

Zionism, at its foundation, is the return of an indigenous people to the hills, springs, and sacred sites that shaped its civilization long before anyone called it a nation-state.

Sunrise at Dir Aziz, a fourth-century synagogue in the Golan Heights.
This photograph shows a Greek flag painted on rocks at the 2,918 metre high summit of Mytikas, the highest peak of Mount Olympus, northern Greece, on July 6, 2026.

UNESCO adds 25 new World Heritage Sites including Mount Olympus, Normandy's D-Day beaches

Ancient coins seized during raid on home of suspected antiquities smuggler, July 28, 2026.

Authorities seize thousands of stolen artifacts in raid on antiquities smuggler's home in West Bank

A rare Judean Pillar Figurine mold dating to the First Temple period found in the Tower of David, July 27, 2026.

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


Inside the tragic, decades-long mystery of Qumran's lost Second Temple incense

The vast majority of material was lost after a 2025 murder. All that remains is a small amount of dust collected from the floor and a few samples preserved by the Jones family.

A cave in the Qumran area of the Dead Sea region.

Hidden for millennia: Mystery ancient stone circle discovered beneath Scotland's Machrie Moor

Located on Arran’s west coast, Machrie Moor is a peat moorland where a large collection of Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeological finds, dating back to between 3,500 BCE to 1,500 BCE. 

Ancient stone circle found underground at Machrie Moor in Scotland, July 15, 2026.

One of the Dead Sea Scrolls' greatest mysteries may have finally been solved by Israeli researcher

For decades, scholars have wondered if Qumran’s 364-day year calender had ever been used in practice or if it served only as a theoretical framework.

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

Coming full circle: Luxury watch belonging to Chabad rebbes found by hasidic children in Lyubavichi

The moving discovery came alongside a visit by Russia’s chief rabbi, Rabbi Berel Lazar, to the main summer camp outside Moscow.

Antique pocket watch and ruble coins discovered by Chabad summer camp kids in the town of Lyubavichi, Russia, July 12, 2026.

Ancient structure near Stonehenge may have inspired its solstice alignment, archaeologists say

The site, believed to have likely served as a focus for religious gatherings, bears extensive evidence of feasting and large-scale gatherings.

Sheep grazing near Stonehenge.

Ancient tablet found at Roman fort in Netherlands bears Greek curse against enemies

The lead curse tablet found in the Netherlands was discovered by a team of Dutch archaeologists in a pit beneath the town hall square of the Roman military settlement of Coriovallum.

Heerlen curse tablet with an ancient Greek invocation of deities and demons in the Egyptian style, July 10, 2026.

Mudbrick Byzantine city unearthed during excavations at Egypt's western desert oasis

The discovery helps “highlight the cultural diversity witnessed by the Egyptian oases throughout different historical periods," said Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy.

Egyptian archaeological mission discovers Byzantine era city in Dakhla Oasis, July 6, 2026.

'Once-in-a-generation' expedition sets sail to survey famed polar expedition ships

The targets of the new survey include Quest, a schooner-rigged steamship captained by Sir Ernest Shackleton, and Terra Nova, Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s whaler and polar expedition vessel.

The Quest, captained by Sir Ernest Shackleton; illustrative.

Hijacking history: How messianic extremists are weaponizing Israeli archaeology - opinion

Right-wing extremists have spent decades perfecting the use of archaeology to promote their messianic ideology and sabotage diplomatic efforts.

View of a graffiti sprayed by unknown attackers, ancient archeological site of Sebastia, near the West Bank city of Nablus, November 30, 2024.

Secrets of Huqoq: New Galilee exhibit premieres mosaics, coins found at ancient Jewish settlement

The ruins of the ancient settlement of Huqoq, which reached its peak during the Roman-Byzantine period, sits in the heart of the Amiad Forest in an open space near a spring of the same name.

Samson carrying the gates of Gaza on his shoulders, the original mosaic from Huqoq is on display in the exhibition at the Yigal Allon Center, July 9, 2026.