Saudi archaeologists have discovered the longest pre-Islamic Musnad inscription -of the ancient south Arabian script- and three gold rings and a bronze bull’s head at the Al Ukhdud excavation site in the Najran region. The Kingdom’s Heritage Commission announced on its official Twitter account that archaeologists have unearthed pre-Islamic artifacts in a region in southern Saudi Arabia. The commission stated that the discoveries “shed a … Continue reading Saudi Archaeologists have discovered a pre-Islamic Musnad inscription and a bronze bullhead

A team of archaeologists have discovered the remains of a lost Sumerian palace and temple in the ancient city of Girsu dating back at least 4,500 years to the third millennium BCE. The significant discovery in Tello in the south of Iraq, is the result of the Girsu Project, a joint initiative to save endangered heritage sites led by the British Museum, the State Board … Continue reading Lost 4,500-year-old palace of mythical Sumerian king unearthed

Archeologists in China uncovered a flush toilet that is likely one of the oldest ever discovered, China’s state news agency reported earlier this week. While excavating two large buildings in the ruins of the palace in the city of Yueyang, the researchers from the Institute of Archaeology at the China Academy of Social Sciences were surprised to make the discovery.  The toilet is estimated to … Continue reading Archeologists in China ‘burst into laughter’ after unearthing a 2,200-year-old flush toilet

The University of Haifa received the gift of a rare map collection made up of 30 maps and atlases containing biblical illustrations and Christian narratives from the 1500s and 1600s. The gift was bequeathed by the Richard Umansky Living Trust based on the wishes of the late Dr. Richard Umansky, a pediatrician, outdoorsman, traveler and historian. Umansky studied the maps for decades and eventually gave … Continue reading Ancient Christian maps of Israel, Jerusalem gifted to University of Haifa

Over a century after the Titanic sank in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution released never-before-seen footage on Wednesday of what was at one point the largest ship in the world.  The haunting video was captured in 1986, when the WHOI made 11 dives nearly 12,500 feet below the ocean’s surface to explore the wreckage.  Alvin, a three-person submersible, was used to … Continue reading Never-before-seen footage of the Titanic nearly 12,500 feet below the ocean released

Archaeologists in southern Iraq have uncovered the remains of a tavern dating back nearly 5,000 years they hope will illuminate the lives of ordinary people in the world’s first cities. The U.S.-Italian team made the find in the ruins of ancient Lagash, northeast of the modern city of Nasiriyah, which was already known to have been one of the first urban centers of the Sumerian … Continue reading Archaeologists uncover 5,000-year-old tavern and “beer recipe” on tablet in Iraq

Peru’s Machu Picchu, an Inca-era stone citadel nestled in its southeastern jungle, reopened on Wednesday after being closed nearly a month ago amid antigovernment protests, the culture ministry announced. Agreements were made between authorities, social groups and the local tourism industry to guarantee the security of the famed tourist attraction and transport services. Protests calling for the resignation of President Dina Boluarte and members of … Continue reading Peru’s Machu Picchu reopens after being closed following protests

A Roman-era sarcophagus, likely to have belonged to a prominent individual, was uncovered at the site of a 2,000-year-old Roman cemetery discovered last year in the northern Gaza Strip, the territory’s antiquities ministry said on Tuesday. So far 90 individual and mass graves have been found at the site, which is being supervised by a French team of experts and which was uncovered last year … Continue reading Roman-era sarcophagus uncovered in Gaza

The article reports on the archaeological excavation of Thompson Farm, a property in Maryland’s Eastern Shore region with historical links to Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. The research team, working under the auspices of the Maryland Department of Transportation, discovered artifacts and features suggesting that the farm was a site of refuge and liberation for enslaved people. The article discusses the significance of the … Continue reading Archaeological discoveries in Maryland tied to Harriet Tubman revealed by officials.

Archaeologists have revealed a group of structures discovered at the famed Mayan Chichen Itza archaeological site in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, believed to have been part of a housing complex inhabited by the elite of the sacred city founded in the 5th Century AD. Archaeologist Francisco Perez Ruiz said there were no known residential groups in Chichen Itza, meaning the housing complex would represent “the first … Continue reading New area discovered at Mexican historic site

An old shipwreck has been discovered at the bottom of Lake Superior. Searchers with The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society found the 144-foot “Barquentine Nucleus” 600 feet underwater.  It was located 40 miles northwest of Vermilion point in Michigan. The ship earned the nickname “Bad Luck Barquentine” because this was its third time sinking. The museum says it sank for a final time on Sept. … Continue reading Shipwreck dubbed the “Bad Luck Barquentine” discovered in Lake Superior

Scotland’s first museum of witchcraft is set to open its doors to the public later this month – and will display mummified animals and ‘magical’ objects. Situated on Chalmers Close in Edinburgh’s historic Old Town, the Museum of Witchcraft, Magic & Fortune-telling will feature unique artefacts and curiosities dating back to the 17th century. With body snatchers and witch executions being a documented part of … Continue reading Scotland’s first witchcraft museum to display mummified cat and ‘enchanted’ objects

Japanese archaeologists have uncovered a 7.5-foot-long iron sword and a bronze mirror from an ancient burial mound near the city of Nara. The weapon, known as a dako sword, is so large that it was likely never used for self-defense, serving instead as a means of protection against evil after death.  Researchers found both artifacts while excavating a 1,600-year-old site called Tomio Maruyama in November. … Continue reading Seven-Foot Sword Unearthed From 1,600-Year-Old Burial Mound in Japan

The earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday has badly damaged Gaziantep Castle, a historic site and tourist attraction in southeastern Turkey. The castle collapsed during the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck in the early hours of February 6. “Some of the bastions in the east, south and southeast parts of the historical Gaziantep Castle in the central Şahinbey district were destroyed by the … Continue reading Ancient castle used by Romans and Byzantines destroyed in Turkey earthquake

While out using a metal detector, Patrick Schuermans discovered a fragment of a 1,600-year-old dodecahedron in Belgium, with archaeologists claiming it could have been a mysterious Roman object that quite possibly could have been used for magic or supernatural purposes. The following comes from Smithsonian Magazine: Amateur archaeologist Patrick Schuermans was wandering around a field in northern Belgium when his metal detector alerted him to … Continue reading Metal Detectorist Finds Mysterious Roman Object Possibly Used for Magic

A large garnet has been found at the centre of a “unique” silver cross uncovered by archaeologists at an ancient burial site. It is the latest discovery at Harpole, near Northampton, where a 1,300-year-old grave, thought to be of a woman of high status, has been uncovered. The Museum of London Archaeology (Mola) said items, including jewellery, were “once in a lifetime” finds. The cross … Continue reading Silver Cross Found in Early Medieval Burial in England

A 5,000-year-old tavern with an open-air dining area and a partial kitchen was uncovered by a team of archeologists from the Penn Museum in Iraq. The tavern is located in the southern ancient Iraqi city of Lagash, now known as Al-Hiba. Archaeologists discovered that it had benches, a refrigerator, an oven and remains of old food.  Field Director Dr. Sara Pizzimenti from the University of … Continue reading Archaeologists find 5,000-year-old tavern in Iraq, refrigerator still intact

A new story about a strange burial is making the rounds on archaeology sites and online news sources. According to Heritage Daily, archaeologists excavating in the Fayum uncovered the remains of an 8-year-old child and 142 dogs in a late antique Egyptian necropolis. The “amazing discovery” has everyone puzzled. According to the press report, Russian archaeologists affiliated with the Center for Egyptological Studies of the … Continue reading Why Is an Ancient Egyptian Mass Grave of Dogs ‘Stumping Archaeologists’?

Archaeologists say they have found a gold leaf-covered mummy sealed inside a sarcophagus that had not been opened for 4,300 years. The mummy, the remains of a man named Hekashepes, is thought to be one of the oldest and most complete non-royal corpses ever found in Egypt. It was discovered down a 15m (50ft) shaft at a burial site south of Cairo, Saqqara, where three … Continue reading Egypt: Gold-covered mummy among latest discoveries

Israeli archaeologists said Wednesday that they are trying to uncover the meaning of a recently discovered hand imprint carved into the stone wall of an ancient moat outside Jerusalem’s Old City. The imprint, which may been made as a “prank”, was found in a thousand-year-old moat exposed during works to expand a road in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem near Herod’s Gate, the Israeli Antiquities Authority said. … Continue reading Ancient Jerusalem hand imprint baffles Israel experts

Archaeologists discovered remains of what they believe was the temple of Poseidon near Samikon, Greece, according to a report by Phys on Wednesday. The remains were unearthed and are being researched by the Austrian Archaeological Institute together with researchers from the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Kiel University and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Elis. The location where the remains were found corresponds to the area … Continue reading Archaeologists believe they found the temple of Poseidon in Greece

The Mesha Stele, also called the Moabite Stone, is a basalt stone slab that has provided historians and linguists with the largest source of the Moabite language to date. Researchers have only now been able to verify with a considerable degree of certainty that the stele contains explicit references to King David.  The stele was discovered in fragments in 1868 roughly 15 miles east of … Continue reading Written records of biblical King David discovered by researchers

Spanish police have recovered hundreds of archaeological artifacts, including marine fossils, Bronze Age ceramics and 18th-century weapons, from two houses in the southeastern province of Alicante. More than 200 human bone fragments, some of which are between 4,000 and 5,000 years old, were also seized from the homes, the Spanish Civil Guard said in a statement Friday. The discovery follows a weeks-long investigation, known as … Continue reading Spanish police seize hundreds of archaeological artifacts from two homes

This road might not lead to Rome, though it is indeed Roman. For nearly a decade, archaeologists in Jerusalem’s City of David National Park have been working hard to uncover the Pilgrimage Road and bring a 2,000-year-old journey to life. Hidden from view beneath the Arab neighborhood of Silwan, the underground road is marked by stone steps that lead all the way from the Pool … Continue reading Jerusalem’s 2,000-year-old Pilgrimage Road preparing for modern revival