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.

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

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

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


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.

'Haters gonna hate': 1,500-year-old mosaic inscription in Turkey strikes surprisingly modern tone

The unusual phrasing has been described as bearing a protective function against the evil eye and negative energies.

The inscription. Haters are going to hate.

Funerary offerings, pottery, gold jewelry discovered in 1,000-year-old pre-Hispanic tomb in Panama

The tomb belonged to an individual of high status within their community, from an important lineage in the Rio Grande area, lead archaeologist Julia Mayo said.

Panama Culture Minister María Eugenia Herrera and archaeologists at the entrance to Tomb 3 at the El Caño archaeological site in Panama, March 19, 2026.

Dressed for the afterlife: What 7,000-year-old grave soil reveals about Stone Age clothing - study

The study uses the technique of microarchaeology to examine the soil collected from 35 graves at the Skateholm I and II cemeteries in southern Sweden.

 Study reveals Stone Age methods of extracting animal teeth for jewelry. Illustration

Ancient clay beads found in northern Israel rewrite timeline of cultural expression in the region

Researchers identified 19 different types of beads, whose shapes are reminiscent of plants that were harvested by Natufians, and were vital to their lives, such as wild barley, lentils, and peas. 

A butterfly clay bead from the Final Natufian period in Eynan-Mallaha, Hula Valley, colored red with ochre and marked with the fingerprints of an approximately 10-year-old child, March 18, 2026.