Archaeology

Bones of medieval tsar, 48 religious relics to be exchanged under new Greece-Bulgaria heritage MoU

The official handover ceremony will take place on October 3, at the the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki.

Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministers of Culture of Greece and Bulgaria, Lina Mendoni and Evtim Miloshev, September 30, 2026.
The Rosetta Stone.

On This Day: Jean-Francois Champollion announces his success at decoding the Rosetta Stone

Several royal inscriptions found at the Tell el-Abqain fortress site in Egypt, September 25, 2026.

Ancient Egyptian fortress uncovers soldiers’ homes, royal inscriptions, and horse burial

Fragment of Egypt-Hittite peace treaty found in Hattusha, Turkey, September 25, 2026.

Turkey uncovers new fragment of oldest known peace treaty between Egypt and Hittites


Czech Republic's 6,500-year-old sanctuary found to predate Stonehenge by 1,000 years

The circular enclosure measures 230 meters in diameter, featuring a ditch over 2.5 meters deep and 12 irregularly spaced entrances that align with key solar and lunar cycles.

Section of the prehistoric sanctuary discovered near Chelby in the Czech Republic, September 25, 2026.

Massive newly-unearthed complex may shed light on how Jewish pilgrims prepared to enter the Temple

The discovery was made during five seasons of excavations, directed by Prof. Uzi Leibner and Prof. Orit Peleg-Barkat of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Institute of Archaeology.

The Ophel archaeological site where a monumental complex housing several Second Temple-era mikvaot were uncovered by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, September 23, 2026.

Egyptian-Chinese mission unearths wine press at temple to ancient warrior goddess

Additionally, the mission found the remains of a mudbrick residential complex in the area surrounding the temple, along with a series of stone blocks and statue fragments.

Ancient pottery vessels found at the Temple of Sekhmet near Mit Rahina in Egypt, September 23, 2026.

Archaeologists unearth tomb shared by ancient Egyptian judge and his scribe father

While the tomb itself had been previously known, discovered by French archaeologist Auguste Mariette in the nineteenth century, the chapels found within it were not.

Entrance to tomb found at Mariette Cemetery site located north of the village of Saqqara, Egypt, September 18, 2026.

France loans Mexico rare Aztec manuscript as nations celebrate 200 years of diplomatic ties

The codex will be on display until December. As part of the exchange, Mexico will loan France another important historical document, the Codex Boturini.

The Azcatitlan Codex, an ancient Aztec pictorial manuscript on loan from France, is displayed at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City on September 17, 2026

Rare Christian amulet holding bible scrap, ancient stone seal unearthed at Turkish site - report

“Inside a copper box, we found an extremely thin gold sheet, only 0.1 millimeters thick, most likely carrying a passage from the Bible,” said Michele Ruzgar Massa of Bilkent University.

A close-up shows the exterior of the copper amulet container uncovered at Turkmen Karahoyuk in Konya, Turkey, July 26, 2026.

How to move an ancient mikvah? Inside the IAA's operation to conserve a Second Temple ritual bath

Discovering the mikvah, as well as stone measuring vessels, provides direct evidence of the existence of a Jewish settlement in the area at the time. 

Lifting the Second Temple-era mikveh found in the Carmei Gat neighborhood in Kiryat Gat, September 17, 2026.

Hebron’s Jewish community finishes restoring tomb belonging to ancestors of biblical King David

The work was spearheaded by the community’s international spokesperson, Yishai Fleisher, a member of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party.

Newly restored Tomb of Yishai and Ruth atop Tel Hebron in the West Bank, September 15, 2026.

Greece denies German museum's bid for Parthenon Sculptures amid British Museum ownership fight

The sculptures are slated to go on display in November as part of Liebieghaus’s upcoming exhibition titled “Athena, the Stage is Yours: The Parthenon Puzzle.” 

The Parthenon Sculptures, British Museum, London, United Kingdom on December 10, 2024.

Turkey unearths rare statues of Roman Emperor Hadrian, Empress Sabina in ancient Mediterranean city

Hadrian’s statue is depicted wearing military garb, with the features of a lion and eagle carved into the emperor’s armor. 

Statues of Roman Emperor Hadrian and his wife, Sabina, found in Kibyra, Turkey, September 11, 2026.