Israel archeology

Discovery off Israel’s coast reveals earliest known 2,600-year-old shipment of raw iron

The discovery was made in an ancient shipwreck in the Dor Lagoon near the Carmel Coast, where archaeologists recovered nine pieces of unprocessed iron known as “blooms.”

 The Mediterranean Sea.
Workers and volunteers on an archaeological dig sift through dirt at Alexandrion/Sartaba in the Jordan Valley.

Israel digs up the West Bank – and reignites a battle over history

Israelis families display pieces of pottery found while volunteering at an excavation at Tel Maresha at the Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park on Aug. 6, 2023.

Israeli archaeologists launch project to trace origins of ancient pottery

The dramatic mountaintop site rising 650 meters above the Jordan Valley

Israeli archaeologists uncover remains of dramatic mountaintop royal palace


Map reveals dozens of ancient quarries hidden beneath modern Jerusalem

Researchers chart 39 quarry sites from 117 excavations, shedding light on how “Jerusalem stone” built the city.

An archeologist from the Israeli Antiquity Authority at the site of a 2nd Temple Subterranean System Discovered at the Western Wall tunnels underneath Jerusalem's Old City

Figurine unearthed near Sea of Galilee reveals earliest human–animal connection

At the Nahal Ein Gev II archeology site, a figurine was discovered to be the earliest item depicting human-animal interaction.

The 12,000-year-old Natufian clay figurine from Nahal Ein Gev II, depicting a woman leaning forward and a goose enveloping her (accompanied by an artistic reconstruction).

Israel thwarts Palestinian attempt to pave over biblical city of Gibeon

Historically, Gibeon was described as “the great city of Gibeon, one of the cities of the kingdom,” serving as one of the 13 priestly cities in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin.

Israel thwarts Palestinian attempt to pave over biblical city of Gibeon.

Talmudic sages were active participants in ancient Mediterranean wine culture

According to a new study, the sages "sought ways to allow Jewish farmers to remain part of the wine industry without compromising Halacha.”

A Ramat HaNadiv vineyard that uses traditional cultivation methods.

Ancient blade workshop unearthed near Kiryat Gat, first of its kind in southern Israel

The findings provide compelling evidence of a sophisticated society with a complex social and economic structure at the very beginning of the Early Bronze Age.

The Israel Antiquities Authority excavation near Kiryat Gat.

How Israel safeguards archaeological treasures amid Iranian attacks

DOMESTIC AFFAIRS: Museum staff members across Israeli institutions face the challenge of protecting some of the most important artifacts of humankind.

 ‘THEY ARE are organic. They can be burned.’ Ivory artifacts, like the figurines pictured here, were among the highest priority artifacts to be removed from the museum to safety.

Digging too deep? Political dispute delays archaeological congress in Israel

Greenberg was expected to lecture on the “archaeologization” of Israel in a session on archaeology and politics, before his participation raised concerns from right-wing activists.

 Amichai Eliyahu at the Knesset. January 21, 2025.

Ancient pyramid, coins, and weapons: Archaeologists unearth Judean Desert treasure trove

A 2,200-year-old pyramid-shaped structure and artifacts were uncovered in the Judean Desert, reshaping history. The IAA-led dig near Nahal Zohar invites volunteers to help uncover its purpose.

Reseachers uncover a pyramid-like structure in the Judean Desert, photo taken March 2025

Ancient animal extinction may explain lack of cave art in Israel - study

New Tel Aviv University research suggests prehistoric humans in Israel didn't create cave paintings because large animals had already gone extinct there, unlike in Europe.

 A scene from Upper Paleolithic Chauvet cave, France.

Rujm el-Hiri mystery deepens: Golan Heights site not what previously thought, research indicates

A theory of the site was that its walls and entrances aligned with astronomical bodies, but as the site has shifted from its original position, it does not correspond to celestial observations

Rujm el-Hiri, an archaeological site of the early bronze age II period (3000-2700 BCE) located at the centre of the Golan Heights near Yonatan. It contains more than 42000 basalt rocks, with a 160m diameter and 2.4m in height. November 10, 2021.