Free Republic

In a surprising twist of fate, a wildfire that swept through Israel’s Betiha Nature Reserve in late July has unveiled significant archaeological remains believed to be the biblical village of Bethsaida.Long thought to be lost to time, this site, located along the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, has been under excavation since 2016 at the official approval of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. The recent blaze, while devastating to local flora and wildlife, has provided archaeologists with an unprecedented view of structures buried for centuries.El-Araj has long been under investigation as a potential site for Bethsaida, historically...

A major rescue excavation in Kaiseraugst, northern Switzerland, has revealed a substantial Roman road complete with porticoes, alongside poignant infant burials and a collection of intriguing artifacts, including a remarkably rare bronze panther statuette...The extensive excavation, conducted by the Aargau Cantonal Archaeology Department between May 2024 and March 2025, was necessitated by an upcoming construction project involving the development of two previously undeveloped plots for multi-family housing. Situated within the lower town of ancient Augusta Raurica, the site's proximity to a known Late Roman burial ground prompted meticulous planning, informed by earlier geophysical surveys in 2019, 2021, and 2023. This...

Sheikh Javed Sindhi, who was engaged in research at the site, said that previously, 4,348 copper coins were excavated by R.D. Banerji, Sir John Marshall, and Mackay from 1922 to 1931. These coins belonged to the Kushan Period dating back to the 2 to 5 Century AD, he said...Rustam Bhutto, in-charge of the soil and water testing laboratory, said the treatment process for separating the amalgamated coins would take at least a month to make the figures and language on coins visible.Ali Haidar Gadhi, senior conservationist at said that Mr Banerji discovered nearly 2,000 coins, 338 of which were of...