Archaeology

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.
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.

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

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.

Neanderthals' ancient toolkit included hammers, blades made from rhino teeth, study finds

University of Central Florida researchers sifting through finds from site near Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

Evidence of ancient Native American life uncovered near Cape Canaveral Space Force Station


Eight-year-old boy visiting Ramon Crater finds over 1,700-year-old statue fragment hidden in rocks

“I was looking for special things on the ground that I could show in class,” Wolynitz shared. “ Suddenly, I noticed an interesting stone with stripes lying on the ground, and picked it up.”

Eight-year-old Dor Wolynitz with the over 1,700-year-old statuette fragment he found in the Ramon Crater area, May 11, 2026.

Wooden platform older than Stonehenge found hidden beneath man-made island in Scotland

The analysis found that the crannog started out as a circular wooden platform, measuring at around 23 meters across, and topped with brushwood.

The crannog at Loch Bhorgastail, Scotland, May 8, 2026.

Scientists find traces of rare 'imperial' Tyrian purple dye found in Roman infant burials in York

Tyrian’s costly nature comes from the difficulty of its creation - made in a process similar to that of tekhelet, the blue dye traditionally used in Judaism to color strings of the tzizit.

"Seeing the Dead" project member studying the burial cast of a Roman infant for traces of Tyrian purple, May 8, 2026.

US repatriates over 300 artifacts to Italy, including ancient Roman funerary stone found by FBI

Among the most significant items unveiled at the ceremony were a marble head of Alexander the Great dating to the first century CE, which was stolen from a Rome museum in 1960.

Two stolen artifacts returned to Italy by the United States in a handover ceremony in Rome, April 29, 2026.

Collection of Greek, Roman, Byzantine artifacts discovered in neighborhood of Egypt’s Alexandria

Professor Ibrahim Mustafa, head of the archaeological mission and director of the Central District, stated that initial restoration work for the artifacts has already started.

Statues of ancient Greek and Roman dieties discovered in  in the Muharram Bek neighborhood of Alexandria, Egypt, May 8, 2026.

Nearly 2,000-year-old 'souvenir cup' found in Spain names Hadrian's Wall's eastern forts - study

The cup is decorated with red, green, turquoise, and blue enamel, all arranged in geometric patterns, including fish scales and tower motifs that are believed to represent the wall itself. 

3D reconstruction of the Berlanga Cup.

World's oldest plague mass grave found beneath Roman racetrack in Jordan - study

According to the study, the grave predates the Black Death burial pits from medieval Europe by approximately 800 years.

People stand before the Roman-era South Gate, was built in honour of the Roman Emperor Hadrian on the occasion of his visit circa 130 CE, is pictured at the Roman ruins of Jerash in northern Jordan on April 29, 2026.

Mummy CT scan reveal ancient Egyptian might've suffered from osteoperosis

The discovery comes as part of an ongoing study using CT scans to order to analyze the remains of six different mummies, the oldest of which dates back approximately 2,300 year.

Krisztina Scheffer (MNMKK Semmelweis Museum of Medical History) and Dr. Ibolyka Dudás (OKK) holding the mummified head of an Egyptian woman, May 4, 2026.

IAA reveals new study focused on ancient Jerusalem bullae in honor of Israel Excellence Week

According to the IAA, the study aims to examine Jerusalem's administrative systems from the First Temple period through the end of the Second Temple period.

Ancient bullae found in Jerusalem, May 1, 2026.

Project to make Tel Hebron’s Second Temple mikveh accessible to visitors nearly complete, INPA says

Burda added that visitors to the site will be able to learn about the bath’s significance, its place within daily life, and “momentarily experience the religious and social reality of that era.”

Aerial photo of Tel Hebron's Second Temple period mikvah, April 30, 2026.