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


Greece reopens country’s only surviving Byzantine palace after over 40 years of restoration work

The palace dates back to they 14th century and served as the seat of the Despotate of Mystras, a province of the Byzantine Empire. It has been on UNESCO’s list since 1989. 

The Palace of the Despots, in the Castle City of Mystras.

Ancient jars unearthed at biblical Shiloh days before annual wine festival

In the Tanach, Shiloh served as one of the ancient Israelites’ central locations of worship and housed the biblical Tabernacle.

The archaeological excavation at Ancient Shiloh, where three well-preserved storage jars dating back to the Middle Bronze Age were uncovered, June 12, 2026.

WATCH: A Paleolithic time capsule: Rare prehistoric cave discovered near highway outside of Haifa

The cave dates back to 400,000 and 250,000 years ago, to the time of the Acheulo-Yabrudian culture – a collection of archaeological cultures in the Levant from the end of the Lower Paleolithic era.

Cave from Lower Paleolithic era found south of Haifa, June 11, 2026.

Ancient water reservoirs discovered at Red Sea's Port of Aydhab site near Egypt-Sudan border

Archaeological surveys of the site also revealed the foundations of residential buildings, watchtowers, and service facilities located nearby. 

Water reservoir found at the ancient Red Sea port site of Aydhab in Egypt, June 9, 2026.

Collection of ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman-era artifacts discovered at Egypt’s Heracleopolis

The finds include the ruins of a Roman basilica and Doric temple, the head of a marble statue of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, several cartouches, and molds used to mint coins in the Roman period.

Marble head belonging to a statue of the Greek goddess Aphrodite and an ancient Egyptian cartouche discovered at Egypt's Heracleopolis, June 5, 2026.

First near-complete ancient Egyptian funerary set discovered at Heliopolis necropolis site

In antiquity, Heliopolis served as a primary religious center for the worship of Ra - indicated by the Al-Masalla obelisk of the Temple of Ra-Atum.

Cache of ancient Egyptian artifacts discovered at Heliopolis necropolis site in Egypt, June 4, 2026.

WATCH: Norway recovers Chinese porcelain, European-made goods from 18th-century shipwreck

The ship, coined "The Porcelain Wreck," is believed to have sunk around the mid-1700s, and was found at a depth of some 600 meters, the museum said. 

Chinese porcelain discovered in 18th century shipwreck in Norway, June 3, 2026.

Rare gemstone discovered by 12-year-old boy during archaeological dig in ancient Jewish village

Dig director Dr. Achia Kohn-Tavorn from Ariel University identified the stone as a Nicolo, a type of agate stone often used in jewelry and signet rings by the Romans as a symbol of wealth.

Twelve-year-old Alon Horwitz who discovered an ancient gemstone at Korazim National Park in the Galilee, June 1, 2026.

What is Beaufort Castle, the historic Crusader fortress Israel now holds in Lebanon? - explainer

Aside from a smaller fortification present at the site of the current Beaufort Castle, little else is known about the site prior to its capture by the Crusader forces.

An Israeli flag flies over the medieval Beaufort Castle, known locally as Qalaat al-Shaqif or Shaqif Arnoun, as seen from the Marjayoun area of southern Lebanon on May 31, 2026.

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.