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

Cambridge students find burial pit, 9th century ‘giant’ who underwent surgery during training dig

The pit is believed to have been from a time of conflict “between the Saxon-run kingdom of Mercia and the kingdom of East Anglia, which was conquered by the Vikings in around 870 [CE]."

FEBRUARY 15, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Cambridge University archaeologists and students discover 9th century CE mass burial pit during a training dig at Wandlebury Country Park on the outskirts of Cambridge, UK, February 4, 2026.

Zapotec tomb from 600 CE marks Mexico’s most ‘significant archaeological discovery’ in last decade

The Zapotecs were a major pre-Hispanic civilization that flourished in Oaxaca from circa 700-500 BC until the Spanish conquest.

FEBRUARY 15, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Owl carving above the entrance to a Zapotec tomb from 600 CE in the Oaxaca Valley, Mexico, February 14, 2026.

German archaeologists discover medieval tunnel system inside Neolithic burial site

Thousands of similar tunnel systems have been discovered across Europe and despite this, their purpose has been subject to decades of theory and debate. 

FEBRUARY 14, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Erdstall discovered in late 2025 by the Saxony-Anhalt State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) during excavations near Reinstedt in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, February 14, 2026.

'Nothing quite like it': UK Treasure Act names Roman carriage ornament Essex's first 'treasure'

According to the Act, archaeological finds can be given the status of Treasure if they are deemed to be of historical, archaeological, or cultural importance.

FEBRUARY 14, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Rare Roman vehicle ornament depicting a panther with its paws atop a bearded man’s severed head discovered in Essex in 2024.

Stone seal from biblical Kingdom of Judea discovered during construction in northern Israel

The seal, which is made of a light brown gemstone, is thought by archaeologists to have been “hung like a necklace around its owner’s neck,” and decoratively divided into three. 

FEBRUARY 12, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
An 8th century stone seal believed to have belong to a high-ranking official of the biblical Kingdom of Judah. The inscription reads: “Belonging to Makhach (son of) Amihai." Picture released on February 12, 2026.

Archaeologists discover Anglo-Saxon child buried with shield, spear in medieval cemetery in Kent

Four medieval swords were also discovered during excavation.

FEBRUARY 10, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Target practice for jousting: consisting of a cross-bar turning upon a pivot with a broad part to strike against. Illustration after a manuscript in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. An engraving from The Sports and Pastimes of the people of England, by Joseph Strutt, (London, 1833).

Researchers discover world’s oldest sewn hide, dated to Ice Age, in Oregon caves - study

Through carbon dating, researchers have ruled that the artifacts are between approximately 11,700 and 12,900 years old, a time when Ice Age temperatures had returned after a brief warm period.

FEBRUARY 10, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Inside Sea Lion Caves, Oregon, February 10, 2026.

Authorities reveal discovery of fourth century Roman shipwreck off Italy’s southern coast

According to the ministry, the site has been under constant monitoring by Italy’s financial police to “protect the site from possible looting and to preserve its enormous scientific value.”

FEBRUARY 9, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Divers carrying amphorae from the fourth century AD Roman shipwreck discovered off the coast of Gallipoli, southern Italy in June 2025.

Netherlands returns 3,500-year-old sculpture stolen from Egypt during Arab Spring

Egypt requested that the artifact be returned under the 1970 UNESCO Convention, which both it and the Netherlands are beholden to. 

FEBRUARY 8, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Dutch Education, Culture and Science Gouke Moes and the Egyptian Ambassador to the Netherlands during the formal handover ceremony of the stolen scultpure at the Egyptian embassy in the Hague, February 8, 2026.

Residue from Roman vial reveals first evidence of ancient physicians' use of fecal medicine - study

The vial, also known as an unguentarium, is commonly believed to have held perfumes or cosmetic oils.

FEBRUARY 8, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Unguentarium, 4th-5th century AD. Creator: Unknown.February 8, 2026.