Artifacts

Partial statue of Ramesses the Great found in ancient Egyptian capital city along Nile

Ramesses II (“Ramesses the Great”) is believed by many to have been the pharoah in the biblical story of the Exodus.

Partial statue of Ramesses II ("Ramesses the Great") discovered at Tel Faraon, Egypt, April 23, 2026.
The hat of Moshe Silberschmidt, the last commander of Gush Etzion, and the wool sweater of Palmach fighter and combat medic Uriel Ofek, April 21, 2026.

'Not just history': Belongings of Gush Etzion heroes to be publicly displayed for first time

Makeshift pistol built by 16-year-old Uzi Aharoni in 1948, to be displayed at the HaEmek Museum in the Galilee, northern Israel, April 21, 2026.

Makeshift pistol from Israel's War of Independence to be displayed at Ha'emek Museum for first time

Stolen manuscript pages being returned by Canada to Turkey in first archaeological repatriation, April 11, 2026.

Canada returns stolen manuscript pages to Turkey in first archaeological repatriation


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.

Priceless Romanian artifacts recovered a year after being stolen from Dutch museum

The Dutch government last year paid 5.7 million euros to compensate Romania for the theft.

Golden Helmet of Cotofenesti and gold bracelets recovered after being stolen from a Dutch museum, April 3, 2026.

Iron Age hoard rewrites history of wagons in Britain, may have been part of royal memorial - study

The collection's careful arrangement is indicative of a “noisy, symbolic acts of deliberate destruction," showing that the Melsonby Hoard was not just a collection of abandoned valuables.

Excavation of the Melsonby Hoard in Yorkshire, England, April 1, 2026.

Roman fort found north of Hadrian’s Wall may have been used to defend against unconquered Scotland

According to GUARD, the fort was constructed on high ground along the Antonine Wall, granting it an unobstructed view of the surrounding area, and intervisible with a much larger fort to the west.

The Boclair Road Roman Fortlet as it may once have been, March 25, 2026.

Hunting for stolen history: Inside Israel’s fight to recover its looted past

Israel’s antiquities watchdog is battling black-market theft, forgery, and a global trade that strips history of its story

Visitors to the Israel Antiquities Authority’s new center in Jerusalem look at items such as jewelery, makeup brushes, and weapons that had been stolen by antiquities thieves.

Ancient sites, modern stakes: The fight to own the West Bank's past - from the editor

As fighting rages, another battle unfolds in the West Bank – over history, heritage, and identity, where competing claims to the past are shaping the future

As the current war wages, Israelis and Palestinians battle over ancient narratives.

Palestinian doctor arrested for smuggling Second Temple-period coins from West Bank to Jerusalem

Trading in antiquities and bringing antiquities from the West Bank into Israel without a permit as well as searching for antiquities without a license using a metal detector are criminal offenses.

Coins seized by Border Police from vehicle of Palestinian doctor after attempted smuggling into Israel, March 23, 2026.

Polish archaeologists find evidence of legendary king hidden in south Sudan - study

Despite its origin, the decree is seemingly ordinary. Written by a royal scribe named Hamad, it instructs an individual named Khidr to exchange textiles for livestock.

Dongola. Qashqash Manuscript.

Real-life Indiana Jones: British Museum to hire ‘treasure hunter’ to find stolen artifacts - report

Since the original 2023 announcement of the theft, the museum has recovered 654 of these, the most significant of which was 268 gems returned all at once by the United States.

London, England, General view of the British Museum with visitors, Bloomsbury, March 2025.

‘Secrets of ancient Egypt’: Old Kingdom tombs, artifacts discovered on Nile's west bank

The tombs, discovered in the Qubbet el-Hawa site, were complete with shafts and burial chambers.

Pottery vessels, discovered alongside jewelry and other artifacts, inside Old Kingdom tombs at the Qubbet el-Hawa site in Aswan, Egypt, February 26, 2026.