archaeology

This photo taken on September 29, 2015, shows the golden sarcophagus of King Tutankhamun in his burial chamber at the Valley of the Kings, close to Luxor, 500 kilometers south of Cairo. (AFP / Khaled DESOUKI)

September 28, 2022, 10:41 am

Tutankhamun’s tomb may conceal fabled beauty Nefertiti, says archaeologist

Researcher says hidden hieroglyphics indicate that Egyptian boy king had buried his stepmother years earlier in adjacent chamber of tomb, behind false wall

By TOI staff

Pouring a Nana Estate Winery rose while looking out toward the unlikely desert terroir of this Negev vineyard. (Courtesy: Nana Winery)

September 25, 2022, 12:14 pm

Daily Briefing September 25: For Rosh Hashanah, Negev Desert wine and ancient opium

The two podcast hosts swap favorite Times Will Tell episodes and update listeners on a recently discovered 3,300-year-old untouched cave at their favorite beach

By TOI staff

An employee at the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) holds one of the vessels that are believed to have contained opium in the 14th century BC, found at the Tel Yehud burial site and on display at the IAA offices in Jerusalem on September 20, 2022.(AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)

September 20, 2022, 3:02 pm

Israeli archaeologists uncover earliest known use of opium in the ancient world

Traces of psychoactive drug found in pottery from Tel Yehud; with new forensic scientific protocols at sites in Israel, discovery may herald many exciting new ‘firsts’

By Amanda Borschel-Dan

Preliminary IAA inspection of the 3,300-year-old cave at Palmachim National Park, September 13, 2022. (Emil Eljam/IAA)

September 18, 2022, 11:37 am

Frozen in time: 3,300-year-old burial cave from Ramses II era found at popular beach

During construction work at Palmachim National Park near Tel Aviv, a fallen rock reveals an ancient treasure trove from the era of the biblically notorious pharoah

By Amanda Borschel-Dan

Palestinians clean around a Byzantine-era mosaic floor that was uncovered recently by a farmer in Bureij in central Gaza Strip, Sept. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

September 16, 2022, 5:33 pm

Unearthed Byzantine mosaic hailed as one of Gaza’s greatest archaeological treasures

Discovered and painstakingly excavated by an olive farmer planting a tree, find sparks excitement among archeologists, but also concern it could be damaged in conflict-ravaged zone

By Fares Akram

The human skeleton found in Borneo, dated to about 31,000 years ago, pictured in a cave in East Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia is photographed on March 4, 2020. (Courtesy of Tim Maloney/Griffith University via AP)

September 7, 2022, 11:11 pm

Ancient skeleton suggests amputation was successfully carried out 31,000 years ago

Bones of young man unearthed in Indonesia indicate his ankle and foot were removed deliberately, and that he survived for years after the complex operation

By Sara Hussein

The 'Ishmael Papyrus,' a rare document from the First Temple period. (Shai Halevi, Israel Antiquities Authority)

September 7, 2022, 1:45 pm

Ingathering of the exiles? Extremely rare First Temple-era papyrus repatriated

2,700-year-old inscribed papyrus, a letter to ‘Ishmael’ written in early Hebrew script, joins only two others from biblical times. But that’s just the beginning of the story

By Amanda Borschel-Dan

Reli Avisar from Tel Aviv University with a 8th-7th century BCE ivory plaque adorned with a lotus flower from the City of David. (Yaniv Berman, Israel Antiquities Authority)

September 5, 2022, 4:07 pm

Were First Temple Jerusalemites living in lap of luxury? Rare ivory finds offer clue

Considered one of the most precious materials in antiquity, 1,500 ivory fragments discovered in ongoing City of David excavations open debate about a more globalized Holy City

By Amanda Borschel-Dan

Archaeologists, paleontologists and conservators surround the tusk of a straight-tusked elephant, discovered at Kibbutz Revadim, southern Israel, in August 2022. (Yoli Schwartz/Israel Antiquities Authority)

August 31, 2022, 2:21 pm

Giant prehistoric elephant tusk uncovered in southern Israel

Academics seek to study rare find to learn about significance of such remains in early human culture; Antiquities Authority says fossil will go on display after preservation

By Michael Horovitz

Aerial view of the rural estate uncovered in Rahat, with the vaulted complex in the center. (Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority)

August 23, 2022, 11:36 am

Luxury digs: Sprawling 1,200-year-old mansion found in Israel’s Negev Desert

Between two mosques in Rahat, archaeologists uncover an opulent home with a finished basement that likely belonged to a wealthy landowner in the early Islamic Period

By TOI staff

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Artifacts found in storage room at Khibret-el-Eika. (Courtesy)

August 19, 2022, 1:58 am

The Hebrew University Institute of Archaeology: Unearthing Ancient Israel

The discovery of the remains of a fortified city was shown to be the first archaeological site in the region verified to be from the era of King David.

Lee Perry-Gal, an Israel Antiques Authority zooarchaeologist, holds a rare collection of astragali dating from the Hellenistic period. (Yoli Schwartz/Israel Antiquities Authority)

August 16, 2022, 11:53 am

Hera help us! Rare knucklebone dice with names of gods show gaming in ancient Israel

530 so-called ‘astragali,’ dating to Hellenistic period 2,300 years ago, found in southern Israel; inscribed in Greek with names of deities Aphrodite, Eros, Hermes, Hera, and Nike

By TOI staff

The latest discoveries in the ancient city of Pompeii, Saturday, August 6, 2022. (Parco Archeologico di Pompei via AP)

August 7, 2022, 1:43 pm

Fresh Pompeii discoveries shed light on the city’s lower classes

While excavations in the ancient Roman city tend to focus on the wealthy upper-class, new discoveries reveal details of life for the not-so-rich-and-famous

By Frances D'Emilio

Kfir Arbiv, Israel Antiquities Authority excavation director, cleans a 2000-year-old ballista stone at the Russian Compound excavation site in Jerusalem. (Yoli Schwartz/srael Antiquities Authority)

August 7, 2022, 11:26 am

Proving Josephus: Research on Roman ballistics confirms Second Temple battle account

Computer calculations of 70 CE Roman arsenal uncovered in excavations in Jerusalem demonstrate veracity of Jewish historian Josephus’s report of intense fighting near Third Wall

By Amanda Borschel-Dan

A view of the center of Petah Tikva, 1936. Illustrative. (Zoltan Kluger/GPO/The National Photo Collection)

July 29, 2022, 8:34 am

After a century, mystery owners of coveted Petah Tikva plot identified

A central site that contains a historic first well is on course for redevelopment after a global search turns up dozens of collective owners from the US to Sweden

By Danielle Nagler