Archaeology

Early humans may have begun eating elephants, large animals 1.8 million years ago - study

The fat stored in Elephant bones, which is rich in essential nutrients, is thought to have played a role in supporting the growth of larger brains in the Homo erectus lineage.

Illustration: The skull of an asian elephant.
One of the sarcophagi found during archaeological excavations in the tomb of Seneb, April 15, 2026.

Over 20 sarcophagi belonging to ‘Chanters of Amun’ discovered during excavations near Luxor

Dolmen of Menga in Antequera, Spain, April 15, 2026.

DNA analysis reveals ancestry of man buried in ancient Spanish tomb, shows mixed heritage - study

Aerial photo of the ancient temple discovered at Tell el-Farma in the  northern Sinai, April 15, 2026.

An ancient Egyptian temple was just found in Sinai after six years of digging


Ancient charcoal found in northern Israel sheds new light on how early humans lived - study

Within the charcoal, archaeologists found traces of ash, willow, oak, olive, pistachio, grapevine, oleander, and the oldest known evidence of pomegranate wood in the Levant.

A general view of the excavation of Gesher B'not Ya‘acov Acheulian site, April 14, 2026.

Early humans in South Africa used dedicated quarries for stone as long as 220,000 years ago - study

Based on this, researchers suggest that early homo sapiens planned for the long-term acquisition of resources earlier than previously thought.

Dozens of large and small stone flakes and production waste found at the  Jojosi excavation site in eastern South Africa, April 11, 2026.

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.

Hezbollah rocket hits Byzantine-era church in Nahariya, damages protective structure

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.

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.

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.

Dr. Melandri Vlok and Ms. Minh Tran conducting radiographic analysis on child skeletons from Man Bac, April 11, 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.

Incense burner found in Pompeii, containing residue of local plants and imported resin, April 7, 2026.

How archaeologists used technology to rediscover ancient Egyptian city on the Nile Delta - study

The site holds three prominent mounds, known as Koms A, B, and C, with Kom C selected for investigation due to its history spanning the Predynastic period through the Early Islamic era.

Ruins of mudbrick buildings on the northern mound of Buto, April 7, 2026.

Clay cylinders found in Iraq bear writings of Babylonian king who besieged Jerusalem, study reveals

The translation appears to align with a description of Nebuchadnezzar from the Book of Daniel, which depicts him walking on his palace roof in Babylon while boasting of his construction projects.

3D scan of cylinder found in ancient city of Kish, Iraq, bearing inscriptions believed to have belonged to Nebuchadnezzar II, April 11, 2026.

Native American use of dice, probability predates known Old World dice by millenia - study

In total, archaeologist Robert Madden observed 659 sets of Native American dice from 57 archaeological sites across 12 different states. 

A series of Native American dice discovered at archaeological sites in the western US, April 9, 2026.

Neanderthals who lived in Siberian cave millenia apart were distant relatives, study finds

Further analysis of the genetic similarity showed that Neanderthals in the Altai region likely lived in groups of fewer than 50 people.

 World's oldest Neanderthal fingerprint found on 43,000-year-old pebble in Spain. Illustration.