Archaeology

Canada returns stolen manuscript pages to Turkey in first archaeological repatriation

According to Ersoy, seven of the pages date to between the 17th-19th centuries, two are from rare printed works, and two are pages of modern calligraphy.

|ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Stolen manuscript pages being returned by Canada to Turkey in first archaeological repatriation, April 11, 2026.
A man inspects the site of the remains of a Byzantine church, which was damaged after a barrage of projectiles was launched towards Israel from Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, in Nahariya, northern Israel, April 10, 2026.

Hezbollah rocket hits Byzantine-era church in Nahariya, damages protective infrastructure

Originally destroyed by the Persians in 614 CE, the mosaic was painstakingly restored by the IAA over the course of two years, and officially opened to the public in 2022.

|ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Dr. Melandri Vlok and Ms. Minh Tran conducting radiographic analysis on child skeletons from Man Bac, April 11, 2026.

Prehistoric children’s remains show syphilis-like disease spread through ancient Vietnam - study

Researchers have for decades believed that of these diseases, only syphilis could be transmitted congenitally, lending to the assumption that syphilis began with Christopher Columbus’ journeys.

|ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Incense burner found in Pompeii, containing residue of local plants and imported resin, April 7, 2026.

Ashes of Pompeii: New study confirms ancient city's role within Rome’s global trade route

Remnants of a “grape-derived product” was also found within one of the burners, the study noted, consistent with literary and artistic depictions of wine being used for ritual purpose in Rome.

|ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM

Stone handaxes found in Galilee show early humans valued aesthetics of their tools - study

The axes were dated to the Pleistocene, likely made by Homo erectus, the first human species to evolve to have a humanlike body shape and gait, who had lived in the region thousands of years ago.

MARCH 25, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
A handaxe incorporating a geode (“Elijah’s apple”) from the Sakhnin Valley in northern Israel, March 24, 2026.

Children buried in 'adult warrior' bronze belts discovered in 2,500-year-old tomb in Italy

A total of 34 burials dating between the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE were discovered, the Superintendency shared, half of which belonged to children between the ages of two and 10.

MARCH 25, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Remains of a child buried with a bronze belt found in Pontecagnano Faiano, Italy, March 24, 2026.

Israel's Heritage Minister: Palestinians destroying archaeological sites like ISIS did in Syria

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu on archaeology, sovereignty, and the battle over history in Judea and Samaria

MARCH 24, 2026ByRUTH MARKS EGLASH
Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu plants a flag at the archaeological site Sartaba in Judea and Samaria.

Hunting for stolen history: Inside Israel’s fight to recover its looted past

Israel’s antiquities watchdog is battling black-market theft, forgery, and a global trade that strips history of its story

MARCH 24, 2026ByRUTH MARKS EGLASH
Visitors to the Israel Antiquities Authority’s new center in Jerusalem look at items such as jewelery, makeup brushes, and weapons that had been stolen by antiquities thieves.

From dust to data: How technology is transforming Israeli archaeology

Israel’s archaeologists are harnessing artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and cutting-edge science to transform how the past is uncovered – and understood

MARCH 24, 2026BySHLOMO CESANA
Multispectral imaging uses different wavelengths of light such as ultraviolet and infrared rays to better decipher faded or damaged writing on ancient manuscripts.

Beneath Jerusalem: The Pilgrimage Road reopens an ancient path

A newly unveiled 1st-century route from the Pool of Siloam to the Western Wall offers a powerful encounter with history – and sparks modern-day tensions in Jerusalem

MARCH 24, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Inside the Pilgrimage Road

'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

MARCH 24, 2026ByRAFAEL GREENBERG
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

MARCH 24, 2026ByMOSHE GUTMAN
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 

MARCH 24, 2026ByDANA BEN-SHIMON
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

MARCH 24, 2026ByRUTH MARKS EGLASH
As the current war wages, Israelis and Palestinians battle over ancient narratives.