Unburied treasures: Israel unveils online database of 4 million archaeological finds

Millions of artifacts and archaeological discoveries from across Israel are now just a click away, thanks to the new Israel National Archaeological Database, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced Tuesday.

Designed for both scholars and archaeology enthusiasts, the platform brings together an unprecedented wealth of material about the land’s ancient past. The database already includes over 3.9 million records, nearly a million artifacts, more than 1.2 million images, and more than 15,000 3D models of sites and finds — making it one of the largest archaeological online repositories in the world, according to IAA experts behind the project.

“In the 21st century, every aspect of our research depends on databases,” IAA Chief Scientist Dr. Débora Sandhaus told The Times of Israel. “The challenge is that each excavation or subfield has developed its own system. For the first time, this project gives us a true bird’s-eye view of the entire [discipline].”

Sandhaus explained that the initiative brings together every part of the process of archaeology, from the very beginning, when an excavation is planned, to the end, when the findings are published or put on display.

“Israel is the most excavated country in the world, and this immense trove of data will now be readily accessible to researchers both here and abroad,” she said. “That accessibility is especially vital at a time when travel to Israel has become more difficult.”

The digital archive is available in Hebrew and English.

Users can explore a “Selected 3D Models” section and navigate an interactive map of Israel, highlighting major archaeological sites — from biblical Tel Lachish to the Ayyubid-era Nimrod Fortress (12th–13th centuries) to Avdat, a Nabatean, Roman, and Byzantine settlement in the Negev.

Those who register for a free account can dive deeper into the database, searching by site, artifact, historical period, researcher, and more — a tool designed with scholars in mind but fully open to the general public.

“Until now, those who were looking for this kind of information would need to sit in our archives for months; now they can just look for, let’s say, Byzantine churches, and find thousands of entries,” Sandhaus said.

“It will help advance research immensely,” she noted.

Alby Malka, head of the IAA’s Technologies Division, expressed hope that the portal would also serve as a valuable resource for educators teaching the history of Israel both locally and abroad.

“Teachers could really benefit from using the database, especially the 3D models, with their students — alongside scholars and people passionate about archaeology,” he told The Times of Israel in a phone interview.

Both Malka and Sandhaus stressed that the initiative is still a work in progress.

“This is only the beginning,” Malka said. “We’re going to add a lot more data, 3D models, and more,” Malka said.

“It was important for us to launch now to give people a taste of what will come in the near future,” Sandhaus echoed.