Archaeology

Native American use of dice, probability predates known Old World dice by millenia - study

In total, archaeologist Robert Madden observed 659 sets of Native American dice from 57 archaeological sites across 12 different states. 

A series of Native American dice discovered at archaeological sites in the western US, April 9, 2026.
 World's oldest Neanderthal fingerprint found on 43,000-year-old pebble in Spain. Illustration.

Neanderthals who lived in Siberian cave millenia apart were distant relatives, study finds

(a) Section of the mosaic showing the leopard and the woman. (b) Section of the mosaic showing the venator with the pole, the leopard, and the woman.

Lost mosaic shows first visual depiction of women fighting beasts in Roman arenas - study

Excavations of Raknehaugen, Norway, in 1939.

Scandinavia's largest prehistoric mound is not a tomb, but a memorial to a natural disaster - study


'Heritage as a weapon': How West Bank digs became a tool of dispossession - opinion

How archaeology in the West Bank has become a battleground over sovereignty, heritage, and international law

A Palestinian archaeologist works on a lead sarcophagus discovered in Gaza City in early 2022. A common Israeli claim is that Palestinians have ‘no interest’ in antiquities.

Israel abandoned its heritage under Oslo - now it's paying the price - opinion

UNESCO battles, abandoned sites, and a renewed national plan force Israel to confront its responsibility to Jewish heritage

Joshua’s Altar on Mount Ebal, situated outside of Israeli territory, is under threat of being erased by new construction plans.

Palestinian Authority accelerates heritage campaign as West Bank tensions rise

From museum reopenings to bids for UNESCO recognition, the Palestinian Authority is prioritizing archaeology and identity 

Palestinian children play in a Roman-era fountain in Battir, a village in the West Bank, south of Jerusalem.

Ancient sites, modern stakes: The fight to own the West Bank's past - from the editor

As fighting rages, another battle unfolds in the West Bank – over history, heritage, and identity, where competing claims to the past are shaping the future

As the current war wages, Israelis and Palestinians battle over ancient narratives.

60,000-year-old ostrich eggshells reveal humanity’s first brush with geometry

Archaeologist Silvia Ferrara described the organization of lines by recurring principles—parallelisms, grids, rotations, and systematic repetitions—as an embryonic visual grammar.

60,000-year-old ostrich eggshells.

Palestinian doctor arrested for smuggling Second Temple-period coins from West Bank to Jerusalem

Trading in antiquities and bringing antiquities from the West Bank into Israel without a permit as well as searching for antiquities without a license using a metal detector are criminal offenses.

Coins seized by Border Police from vehicle of Palestinian doctor after attempted smuggling into Israel, March 23, 2026.

Ancient graffiti in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings proves presence of Indian tourists 2,000 years ago

According to the researchers, the inscriptions’ discovery is not new. Early Egyptologists noticed them, but did not know what language they’d been written in and were unable to translate.

Screengrab of Indian graffiti in a tomb in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt, March 20, 2026.

Handgun fragments found near Germany's Kletzke Castle may date to 14th century, new research shows

If a connection between the "Kletzke Hand Cannon” and the siege is confirmed by archaeologists, this would make it nine years older than the Tannenberg rifle, which is dated to 1399.

A fragment of the handgun found in Brandenburg, Germany in 2023.

Polish archaeologists find evidence of legendary king hidden in south Sudan - study

Despite its origin, the decree is seemingly ordinary. Written by a royal scribe named Hamad, it instructs an individual named Khidr to exchange textiles for livestock.

Dongola. Qashqash Manuscript.

“Unbelievable”: Tourists smash 10,000-year-old, 90 kg mammoth tusk

The item was described as a "one-of-a-kind artifact". Investigators say one of the men allegedly climbed onto the other’s shoulders.

 Hunter discovers rare mammoth tusk in West Texas.