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“One of the most important discoveries made in Israel this century.” —Ariel David and Ruth Schuster, reporters for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.1 “A stunning trio of early Christian (3rd century) inscriptions.” —Christopher Rollston, Professor of Northwest Semitic Languages and Literatures and chairman of the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the George Washington University.2 What is it that has these reporters and a linguistic expert so excited? It is the discovery and further study of three mosaic texts in pristine condition that were excavated in 2005 by Yotam Tepper3 on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority...

In the quiet woods near Kalisz, Poland, a group of amateur archaeologists uncovered not one, but three extraordinary treasures over the span of just five weeks this summer...The Denar Kalisz Group, in cooperation with the Voivodeship Office of Environmental Protection in Kalisz, conducted their exploration in the Grodziec Forest District of Zbiersk.Their work began in early June with the discovery of a Roman-period burial ground linked to the Przeworsk culture. Among the finds was the grave of a warrior, complete with a spearhead and shield boss.Just days later, they recovered a coin from the 11th century alongside a small ceramic...

Recent excavations at the site of Körzüt Fortress in eastern Turkey's Van province have uncovered several important archaeological features that are helping archaeologists gain a deeper understanding of the Urartian city's layout and history, Türkiye Today reports. The site, which is notable for its massive defensive walls measuring 30 feet wide, was purportedly built by King Minua, ruler of the Kingdom of Urartu between 810 and 786 b.c. New work at the site revealed a second temple building, a monumental entrance to the palace complex, and a network of pathways linking civilian areas with the central citadel. However, the most...

Join us as we tackle one of archaeology's most persistent puzzles: the origins of the Elamites, the Bronze-Age powerhouses of southwestern Iran. Where Did the Elamites Come From? Ancient DNA & the Dravidian Mystery | 11:28 World of Antiquity | 293K subscribers | 78,800 views | June 22, 2025

A 38-year-old man from the Bay Area, who went by at least three aliases, managed to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of rare historical Chinese manuscripts dating back to the 13th century from the University of California, Los Angeles’ library, federal officials announced. In a U.S. Department of Justice news release, federal prosecutors allege that Jeffrey Ying, who also went by the names Jason Wang, Alan Fujimori and Austin Cheng, stole the manuscripts between Dec. 2024 and July 2025. Because of their value and rarity, UCLA does not keep the books in regular circulation, requiring a reservation to...

Newly discovered clay seal may connect to a high-ranking official from King Josiah’s court, offering a rare, tangible link to the Bible’s historical narrative. In a discovery that blends archaeology and ancient scripture, researchers at the Temple Mount Sifting Project have unearthed a 2,600-year-old clay seal (bulla) bearing the name “Yeda‛yah (son of) Asayahu” in ancient Paleo-Hebrew script. The exceptionally preserved artifact, dating back to the First Temple period, may have belonged to the son of a biblical official who served King Josiah of Judah — a potential breakthrough in linking material evidence with the biblical record. This minute clay...

Authorities in southern Libya have uncovered a prehistoric rock art site believed to be as much as 10,000 years old, following a report from a resident who spotted unusual engravings on rock faces in the Al-Hasawna Mountains, near Wadi Mubarak. The discovery has sparked major archaeological interest and led to immediate protective action by Libyan officials. The markings were first brought to the attention of the Sabha branch of the Tourist Police and Antiquities Protection Agency. A formal investigation was launched soon after, with the Public Order Prosecution in Sabha and the Fezzan Antiquities Authority notified to oversee the site’s...

A burial in southeastern Turkey revealed a 35‑square‑meter mosaic with a Greek inscription, marking one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in the region. While preparing a grave in the rural Özbilek neighborhood of Diyarbakır’s Ergani district, locals uncovered the mosaic, which experts believe dates to the late Roman or early Byzantine period. Discovery made during a routine burial The find features elaborate geometric patterns and two striking elements: a six-line inscription in ancient Greek and a Star of David enclosing a Christian cross. Museum officials say this combination of Jewish and Christian iconography is exceptionally rare and could shed...

Archaeologists in Sicily, Italy have uncovered a striking mosaic depicting what appear to be Roman-era flip-flops, adding a new chapter to the rich artistic heritage of the Villa Romana del Casale. The sandals, crafted in the fourth century A.D., were found in the villa’s southern bath complex during ongoing excavations. The discovery includes more than the footwear motif. Alongside the sandals, researchers identified a mosaic inscription and three columns with capitals. Specialists say the artifacts highlight the villa’s exceptional craftsmanship, providing fresh insight into decorative themes used in elite Roman residences. Part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site The Villa...

In 399 BC, Athens, the cradle of democracy and philosophy, tried and killed a seemingly innocent man in one of the most controversial trials in history. The defendant, Socrates, was a 70-year-old philosopher whose teachings profoundly influenced the city’s youth and intellectual landscape. His execution by drinking poison hemlock remains a poignant episode in Western philosophy. Understanding why Athens killed Socrates reveals much about its sociopolitical and cultural dynamics. The charges: impiety and corrupting the youth Athenians charged Socrates with two primary offenses: impiety, or not believing in the gods recognized by the state, and corrupting the youth of Athens....

The Ancient Greeks were active travelers, despite the dangers of land travel and the fear of highwaymen. Sea travel required ample supplies and means. A fascinating archaeological find exhibited in the Agora Museum in Athens is rectangular clay tablets with inscribed names and occupations that purportedly served as travel documents in antiquity. Most travelers were aristocrats and well-to-do citizens who traveled to witness and experience the wonders of the ancient world, and other famous places and sights. Others traveled for pilgrimage; healing in sanctuaries such as the Sanctuary of Asclepius in Olympia, the Sanctuary of Apollo on Delos Island, or...

AP News reports that ocean swells and shifting coastal sands exposed ancient Hawaiian petroglyphs on a beach in Oahu. The carvings were first seen almost a decade ago near a U.S. Army base in Waianae, an hour outside Honolulu, but were quickly swallowed back up again by the sand. Although sections of the artwork have occasionally become visible, said U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii archaeologist Laura Gilda, this is the first time the entire panel has been exposed. The scene consists of 26 petroglyphs -- 18 of which depict anthropomorphic stick figures -- carved across a 115-foot stretch of sandstone. Experts...

Researchers studying prehistoric artifacts believe the earliest evidence of humans recording numbers may lie in simple bone markings made up to 20,000 years ago. The study, led by Lloyd Austin Courtenay and published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, explores how these marks could reveal the origins of numerical thinking. Simple marks, complex meaning The research examines “artificial memory systems,” or AMSs—objects engraved with repeated marks believed to store information outside the human mind. These marks are found on bones, antlers, and sticks dating back to the Upper Paleolithic period. Some artifacts carry hundreds of lines, carefully spaced and organized. Such...

An ancient Egyptian rock engraving may have been carved at the dawn of the first dynasty, up to 5,100 years ago, a new study suggests...The engraving is stylistically similar to ancient Egyptian rock panels from the protodynastic period and early first dynasty -- periods that aren't well known to archaeologists. These similarities hint that the newfound carving may hold clues about the formation of the Egyptian state, according to the study...The "intriguing new" rock engraving was found on the west bank of the Nile River near Aswan in November 2022, during a survey that was documenting rock art in the...

Children are always picking stuff up off the ground -- dirt, bugs, rocks, anything shiny. And usually, it's just junk. However, 3-year-old Ziv Nitzan made the discovery of her young life when, on a walk with her family, she picked up a small stone that wound up being a scarab amulet more than one thousand times her age."We were walking along the path, and then Ziv bent down and out of all the stones around her, she picked up this particular stone," Omer Nitzan, Ziv's sister, said in a translated statement from the Israel Antiquities Authority...The family brought in the...

Chinese archaeologists have uncovered the tomb of Kim Young, a hostage prince from the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla, in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, Northwest China. This remarkable find marks the first formal archaeological excavation of a Tang Dynasty (618–907) royal tomb belonging to the Silla kingdom.The epitaph discovered inside offers a rare, detailed account of Kim Young's life, deepening our understanding of the Tang Dynasty's hostage system and diplomatic ties with Silla, located on the Korean Peninsula, according to reports by the China News Service...The tomb is a single-chamber earthen cave featuring a long sloped entrance passage and a skylight...

High-resolution imaging of tattoos found on a 2,500 year old Siberian "ice mummy" have revealed decorations that a modern tattooist would find challenging to produce, according to researchers. The intricate tattoos of leopards, a stag, a rooster, and a mythical half-lion and half-eagle creature on the woman's body shed light on an ancient warrior culture. Archaeologists worked with a tattooist, who reproduces ancient skin decorations on his own body, to understand how exactly they were made. The tattooed woman, aged about 50, was from the nomadic horse-riding Pazyryk people who lived on the vast steppe between China and Europe. Credit:...

The oldest song to have survived in its entirety is a first-century AD Greek tune known as the “Seikilos Epitaph.” The song, the melody of which is recorded, alongside its lyrics, in the ancient Greek musical notation, was found in 1883 engraved on a pillar (a stele) from the Hellenistic town of Tralles near present-day Aydın, Turkey, not far from Ephesus. Although usually referred to as an epitaph, experts say that it is possible that it does not mark a tomb, but was merely a monument erected by Seikilos himself to commemorate his skill. “I am a tombstone, an image,”...

The Deccan Chronicle reports that the Archaeological Survey of India recently recovered an important historical document from a graveyard in Kodad, Telangana, that provides new insight into the genealogy of an important ancient Indian ruling family. Inscribed on three copper plates, the text was written in both the Sanskrit and Telugu languages. According to epigraphy experts, the document is dated to March 6, a.d. 918, the coronation day of Vengi Chalukya King Vikramaditya II. The inscription records that during the ceremony, Vikramaditya II generously granted the village of Kovuru to a woman named Lokamamba, the widow of Gunda II, who...

Mysterious Proto-Sinaitic inscriptions may point to Moses and Joseph as historical figures, sparking global scholarly controversy. A groundbreaking proto-thesis by independent scholar Michael S. Bar-Ron suggests exactly that. After eight years of rigorous epigraphic analysis, Bar-Ron argues that two inscriptions found at Serabit el-Khadim, an ancient turquoise mining site on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, contain the Semitic phrase “This is from MŠ” — a possible early rendering of the name Moses (Moshe). The inscriptions, dated to Egypt’s late 12th Dynasty during the reign of Pharaoh Amenemhat III, are written in Proto-Sinaitic, considered one of the world’s earliest alphabetic scripts. According to...