Crete’s Minoan civilization has long been considered Europe’s first great Bronze Age society. But who were the Minoans? A recent DNA study suggests that the Minoan civilization comprised of local Read more…
Ancient Cultures
What does archaeology tell us about the world of the Bible? Explore what life was like in the ancient world, from broad cultural trends to daily habits.
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Who Were the Minoans?
• 05/16/2013
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A Jerusalem Quarry from the Second Temple Period
• 05/08/2013
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced the discovery of a massive quarry from Second Temple period (538 B.C.E–70 C.E.) Jerusalem in the modern Ramat Shlomo district on Wednesday, May 8th. Read more…
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Thonis—A Major Egyptian Port Swallowed by the Sea
• 05/01/2013
Maritime archaeologists have recently discovered the spectacular remains of the port city under the Mediterranean Sea off the Egyptian coast. While it is unclear how and exactly when in the Read more…
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Iron Age Weapons—From Cold Metal to Warm-Blooded Animals
• 04/16/2013
Judging by the numerous Biblical stories, victory stele and battle reliefs, war seems to have been widespread in antiquity. But in our modern world of jets, rockets and tanks, how Read more…
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New Monumental Structure Uncovered Near Ur
• 03/29/2013
After nearly 80 years, archaeologists have returned to one of the world’s most prolific archaeology sites, and have uncovered a monumental new structure. Read more…
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Herod the Great: Friend of the Romans and Parthians?
• 03/29/2013
Duquesne University’s Jason M. Schlude explores how King Herod manipulated his position between two regional powers. Read more…
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A Feast for the Senses … and the Soul
• 03/21/2013
Go on a journey of the senses through history and discover the significance of ritual feasts and meals in antiquity. Read more…
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Stoa Poikile Excavations in the Athenian Agora
• 03/20/2013
The Stoa Poikile, or Painted Portico, was one of the major structures in Athens’ Classical Agora, the center of political and public life. In the early third century B.C.E., philosopher Read more…
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The Expulsion of the Hyksos
• 03/19/2013
Recent archaeological discoveries at Tel Habuwa (also known as Tell el-Habua or Tell-Huba), a site associated with ancient Tjaru (Tharo), shed new light on Ahmose’s campaign. Read more…
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Daily Life in Ancient Israel
• 03/01/2013
What was life like for the tribes of Israel in the time of the Biblical Judges, the period archaeologists call Iron Age I (1200–1000 B.C.E.)? Read more…
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Ancient Worship in Israel—Before the Israelites
• 03/01/2013
A new exhibit of a large treasure trove at Haifa’s National Maritime Museum is offering a glimpse of Canaanite cultic practices that existed when the Israelites arrived in the Holy Read more…
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Epic Genes: Dating The Iliad
• 02/28/2013
The Iliad, an epic poem on the heroes and events of Trojan war, is one of the oldest extant pieces of Western literature. But just how old is it? Read more…
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The Pyramid of Khay
• 02/26/2013
Archaeologists recently discovered the dismantled pyramid of the Khay, Ramesses II’s vizier. Read more…
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What’s a Greek God Doing in an Ancient Synagogue?
• 02/25/2013
Join Steven Fine, Jodi Magness and Hershel Shanks in New York City on March 3rd, 2013. Read more…
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Ancient Board Games
• 02/11/2013
Archaeologists have uncovered over 25 inscriptions in Jerusalem’s Old City alone that served as public boards for ancient games. Read more…
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The Last Days of Hattusa
• 02/08/2013
In the latter part of the second millennium B.C., the Hittite empire was a Near Eastern superpower. Its capital, Hattusa, was a great city of palaces and temples surrounded by Read more…
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Arabian Sights
• 02/04/2013
We may never know if the Bible’s accounts of King Solomon’s liaison with the Queen of Sheba are historically accurate (1 Kings 10; 2 Chronicles 9). However, the Biblical references Read more…
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The Enduring Symbolism of Doves
• 02/01/2013
Few symbols have a tradition as long and as rich as the dove. Read about what it represents, how its use has been shared, adapted and reinterpreted across cultures and Read more…
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Jewish Captives in the Imperial City
• 01/28/2013
Ancient Rome was the superpower of its day. Yet, when the Romans conquered the tiny province of Judea and quashed the First Jewish Revolt in 70 C.E., it was actually Read more…
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Tumor and Teeth in Late Roman Spain
• 01/23/2013
Archaeologists excavating a Spanish necropolis discovered a calcified tumor with a bone and four teeth in the pelvis of a late Roman woman. Read more…
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The Elusive Kingdom of Kush
• 01/16/2013
In the 8th century B.C.E., the Nubian Kingdom of Kush took over its politically fragmented northern neighbor, forming Egypt’s twenty-fifth dynasty, known as the Nubian dynasty or the Kushite Empire. Read more…
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Millions of Mummified Dogs Uncovered at Saqqara
• 01/10/2013
Recent excavations at the so-called dog catacomb in Saqqara have brought to light the lesser-known tale of over eight million mummified dogs and other animals. Read more…
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Re-dating Nabatean Farming at Petra
• 01/03/2013
Researchers examining dam construction and terrace farming techniques at Petra suggest that the Nabateans began employing these techniques around the first century, rather than the earlier Iron Age chronology hypothesized Read more…
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The Göbekli Tepe Ruins and the Origins of Neolithic Religion
• 12/26/2012
On a hill known as Göbekli Tepe (“Potbelly Hill”) in southeastern Turkey, archaeologists have uncovered several large megalithic enclosures that date between 10000 and 8000 B.C.E., the dawn of civilization Read more…
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Archaeologists Expose Israel’s Largest Hellenistic Harbor
• 12/03/2012
Excavations at Akko (Acre) have exposed archaeological evidence of the Israel’s largest Hellenistic harbor, according to an Israel Antiquities Authority Press release Tuesday, July 17, 2012. Read more…
